Kismet
by Relatively Unknown
Summary: What if Ryou abandoned everything he knew and became a thief with Bakura, Malik, and Marik? How would his friends react? Will he make it? It's that and more in Kismet. -COMPLETE- Rating Fixed
1. Prologue

A/N: This story I actually began almost a year ago and just finished it tonight. It started  
out as simple question: What if Ryou joined Bakura, Malik, and Marik as a thief? Well,  
this is my answer.  
  
This story is twenty chapters long, plus a prologue and an epilogue. At times it's canon,  
and at times it's completely OOC. I know that, but I'm not changing it. Take it as will.  
Good or bad, this is what it is.  
  
I will be posting both the prologue and first chapter tonight. In a few days, chapter two  
will follow, and in another few days will be chapter three, and so on. I hope you'll stick  
around for ride.  
  
Enjoy.  
  
GUIDE  
  
/ ... / Ryou to Bakura  
... Bakura to Ryou  
_Blah_ thinking  
  
-----  
  
"Hi, guys," Ryou said quietly, approaching the others who had congregated in front of the  
school.  
  
How the bloody hell was he going to explain this? _Maybe they won't ask questions... they  
do know that my father is an archaeologist. Maybe they'll just think that I have to go  
because of him.... They'll figure it out right quick though, and when they do, we'll both be  
in hot water._  
  
"Hey, Ryou, what's up?" Yuugi said. _He's so innocent... it's hard to believe he's only a  
year or so younger than me._  
  
"Yes, well, um... there is something I need to tell you all..." Ryou managed to get out.  
  
"What?" Honda asked.  
  
"Well, you see... today will be my last day here." Seeing their confused expressions, he  
elaborated. "I'm moving. I just found out today."  
  
"Wha? To where?" Jou said, apparently not believing what he was hearing.  
  
"Several places for awhile..." he started, then realized that wasn't exactly the best answer.  
_Oh, why am I no good at lying? I don't understand why he couldn't do this!_ "My father  
has decided that I should accompany him to several new sites around the world," he  
added quickly.  
  
"I see," Yami said. He gave Ryou a thoughtful look, and Ryou was near panicking now.  
_Bloody hell, he's seeing right through me! Why, oh why, couldn't he have done this?!_  
  
"Will you be coming back?" Anzu asked. Ryou sighed, as she looked about ready to cry.  
What could he tell them? He hadn't planned to... but the look on their faces broke him.  
  
"He said that I would, eventually. However, he does not know when that will be," he told  
them.  
  
The bell rang before anyone could respond. _Saved by the bell, indeed! I just hope I can  
get through today. I have a lot of work to do when I get home. He better hold up his end  
of the bargain or else I'll sic Yami on him faster than you can say 'Shadow Realm'_, Ryou  
thought as he gathered his books from his locker and headed to his first class. 


	2. Chapter One

A/N: I know, I know, this chapter is short, but trust me, they become progressively longer  
as the story goes on. ::grin:: Just be patient. And yes, like the summary says, the rating  
will go up eventually, probably reaching R by the tenth chapter, where it'll remain. Still,  
for now, I'll keep the rating low.  
  
Enjoy.  
  
GUIDE  
/ ... / Ryou to Bakura  
... Bakura to Ryou  
_Blah_ thoughts  
  
-----  
  
"Bakura! I'm home!" Ryou called from habit as he entered. Most times he didn't receive  
a reply, but this wasn't among them.  
  
"Took you damn long enough. I was beginning to think you were backing out," Bakura  
said, appearing in the main hall from the kitchen. He leaned against the door frame as  
Ryou set his books down and removed his shoes. "You aren't, are you?"  
  
"No, I'm not. Not this time, and not ever again," Ryou replied, padding down the hall  
towards him. He went into the kitchen and Bakura followed. "How much time do we  
have?"  
  
"About four hours, unless you prefer the morning..." Ryou sent his yami a look. He hated  
getting up early and Bakura knew it. "Just asking," the dark replied.  
  
Ryou went about making himself a snack, as he hadn't ate lunch. If he had, if would've  
meant he would've had to face the others, something he knew he wouldn't be able to do.  
He knew that he would've backed out of the deal at the sight of their down faces. He  
couldn't do that anymore; he was tired of always giving in. _So it was a bit of a coward's  
way out... it's all I am, so why not live up to it?_  
  
Because you're my hikari, and if you ever act like a coward I again I will personally beat  
the shit out of you, Bakura informed him.  
  
"'Kura, why did you agree to this?" Ryou asked suddenly. His dark only seemed mildly  
surprised, probably more with the nickname than the actual question.  
  
"I could ask the same of you," he replied. Ryou sighed.  
  
"I need this. I can't stay here any more. It's too..." he searched for the word, but it was  
supplied for him.  
  
"Smothering."  
  
"Yes. It's too smothering here. I don't belong here." Ryou looked up at the darker mirror  
of himself. "Neither of us do."  
  
Bakura merely nodded, before leaving. Ryou sighed and sat down at the table, finishing  
his snack. He had a lot of sorting and packing to do, and only four hours to do it. He  
would wait until morning, except that he was anything but a morning person. _I probably  
picked that up from him... he stalks around all night and sees morning as bedtime. _  
  
I heard that!  
  
/ Well, it's true! / Ryou told him. He received no response, which meant that he had more  
or less won this round. He finished up and headed upstairs.  
  
There was a lot to do, and if he didn't do it now... he never would.  
  
A/N: Well, there it is. The first chapter. I honestly hope you guys like this, and if you  
don't, feel free to tell me what you don't like about it. Right a review or E-mail if you  
wish (it's listed in my bio). I don't mind flames, I just ask that you don't go overboard. A  
story is nothing to get worked up over, because it's just that-- a story.  
  
Either way, I'll be back soon with the next installment. 'Til then.  
  
CrazyAce 


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: I'm glad you all liked this! If you have been wondering, then yes, I have been  
having problems with the Bakura-to-Ryou "marks". It seems that doesn't want to  
show anything I've put. ::grr:: I hope this next time will actually work. If not, bear with  
me. I'll get it eventually.  
  
I realize that this is starting out slow, but it'll pick up the pace later on, I swear. ::grin::  
Just trust me.  
  
Enjoy.  
  
GUIDE  
  
: Ryou to Bakura :  
:: Bakura to Ryou ::  
_Blah_ is thoughts  
  
-----  
  
"So, you're the professional at this. What should I and shouldn't I pack?"  
  
"Figure it out your own damn self," came the reply. Ryou sighed and rolled his eyes,  
making sure that Bakura still had his back turned.  
  
"Necessities aside, is there anything important I should take?" Bakura looked at him a  
moment before pulling something out of his bag. He tossed it to Ryou, who caught it and  
held it with curiosity. "Why?"  
  
"Your gonna learn how to use it, that's why. Run with me and you'll need to learn how to  
survive on your own. I won't be there to save your sorry ass every time somebody bigger  
than you comes along, got it?"  
  
Ryou looked at the sheath before him. It was black leather, and could be tied to an arm,  
leg, or even a belt. The handle was gold, inlaid with several other precious metals and  
stones. Two jackals made up most of the handle, sitting proudly, back-to-back. Above  
their heads, at the end of the handle, was an inscription. It was written in hieroglyphs.  
  
"Strength, speed, cleverness, and endurance...." he read aloud. Bakura said nothing.  
  
Ryou noticed that the inscription didn't go all the way around. At one point, there was a  
space, some hieroglyphs inside a circle, and then another space, and then the inscription  
began. He recognized it as a cartouche, meaning that the hieroglyphs inside were a name.  
He studied it, trying to see what it was.  
  
"It says, 'Khalid'."  
  
"Khalid?"  
  
"Yes." Ryou looked at him for a moment, noticing a slight faraway look in his eyes. It hit  
him.  
  
"This is yours, isn't it? Your Khalid!"  
  
"It was mine. It's yours now, which means your Khalid," he said.  
  
"I don't believe I understand," Ryou said, looking the knife over. He drew the blade from  
the sheath, and couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship of it all.  
  
"Among the thieves of my time there was a legend of a thief, named Khalid. He became  
the first King of Thieves, stealing the entombed body of the first Pharaoh. It became  
tradition for the subsequent kings to adopt the name 'Khalid'. It means--"  
  
"Immortal," Ryou said. Bakura narrowed his eyes.  
  
"How did you know that?"  
  
"I... I don't know..." Ryou told him. _How DID I know that? Unless I picked up on some of  
his memory, which has happened before. Not any time recently, though. I wonder._  
  
"Well, you're now Khalid," Bakura said.  
  
"But I'm not King of Thieves! I can't even steal those little commodities from motel  
rooms!" Ryou protested.  
  
"No, but I am. Now hurry up, if we're late, we'll never hear the end of it!" Bakura said,  
ending the discussion. He grabbed his bag off the floor and left the room.  
  
_But why on earth would he... _Ryou blinked. Could it be that...? But, it made no sense!  
_Why on earth would Bakura call me.... No, it must be something else. Nothing about him  
makes much sense any more. Nothing does._  
  
: ...Thank you... : he said, receiving no reply.  
  
Ryou admired the knife for a few moments longer, but knew that they were pressed for  
time. He found a cloth and wrapped it up carefully, afraid to damage it. It was the only  
gift he had ever received from Bakura, and he was going to take care of it.  
  
He went through all of his belongings, slowly working his way down to what he now had.  
Two changes of clothes, the knife, a pair each of sandals and boots, a large wirebound  
notebook, a sketch book and pencils, and a few odds and ends he thought might come in  
handy. The only personal affects he had added was a photo of his mother and a locket that  
had belonged to his sister.  
  
_Strange_, he thought, h_ow I can pack everything into one bag that only slightly larger than  
average, and feel no sadness or regret. I feel... kinda giddy._ Ryou wondered at that as  
went downstairs.  
  
Bakura was outside, leaning against a near-new black Jeep Wrangler. It was the new  
Rubicon model, and had been a gift from Ryou's father. Why, he didn't know, as he  
didn't drive, but Bakura did and he used it. He said that is was a good vehicle for their  
line of work. At the time he had only meant himself, Malik, and Marik, but now Ryou  
was a part of it all.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
"I think so," Ryou replied. Bakura gave him a look.  
  
:: You have to be sure, or else I'm leavin' you behind, :: he said.  
  
Ryou looked back to his house. _I'm leaving all this, probably for good. I'm leaving this  
life, this time and place, all of it._ He paused. _I wonder if the others will miss me. No, they  
barely knew me. I barely know them. There is nothing to miss._ He threw his bag into the  
back of the Jeep and got in. Bakura didn't move, just looked at him.  
  
: Well, c'mon already! You said it yourself, we'll never hear the end of it if we're late! :  
he said. Bakura grinned and jumped in. He started the engine and pulled out of the  
driveway.  
  
A/N: Malik and Marik next chapter! Like I said before, I know this is starting out slow,  
but please bear with me.  
  
Also, if anyone has a suggestion for a title (I'm not really fond of what I have), I'd be glad  
to hear it. Language doesn't matter, just put the meaning if its not in English. Put it in the  
review or E-mail, it doesn't matter.  
  
Review, please! And flames are fine. 


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: To all six of you who have reviewed as of right now, I am in great thanks to you.  
You're helping to encourage me to keep with this. Thanks. I mean it.  
  
Still a slow start, but we'll be switching off to others' POV for a moment in this chapter.  
Don't worry, it'll be getting good next chapter, I promise. I just need a good setup, if you  
know what I mean. If not, then don't worry. You're not really missing much. ::lol::  
  
And yes, I FINALLY fixed the mental-speak marks. Ended up having to change Ryou's,  
too. ::pout:: Oh well. Whatever works.  
  
And yes, I upped the rating a little earlier than I thought I would. I figured some of the  
words and innuendo might be a bit much for a PG rating.  
  
Enjoy.  
  
GUIDE  
  
: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts  
  
-----  
  
"You're late!" Malik said, sitting on his motorcycle. Bakura made a face, his back to  
Malik, making Ryou laugh. "I don't see what's so funny."  
  
"You are, Malik. Didn't you know you were a fucking comedian?" Bakura said. Malik  
flipped him off. "Where's that nutcase of thief anyhow?"  
  
"He already at the dock, waiting for us," the blonde said. "Unless, of course, he wandered  
off and is currently torturing somebody because you _took so damn long_!"  
  
"Blame him, it ain't me that takes three and half hours to pack," Bakura said, jerking his  
thumb to Ryou.  
  
"If you had told me what to pack in the first place, we wouldn't have been late," Ryou  
retorted.  
  
Malik walked over and, leaning on Bakura's door, said, "You whine too much, brat."  
  
"If I'm a brat, then you must be the bloody King of England," Ryou said.  
  
"I command thee upon thy knees," Malik hissed, a glint in his eye.  
  
"Alright, let's get down to the dock before Marik gets too bored and starts decapitating  
everybody in sight," Bakura said. Malik gave one last look to Ryou before sauntering  
over to his motorcycle and starting it. He kicked the stand up and roared away. Bakura  
started the Jeep, but didn't move it. "Watch what you say around him. Malik will take any  
chance and any opportunity to get what he wants at the moment. And let me put it this  
way: that includes anybody and everybody, if you get my drift."  
  
Bakura turned the wheel sharply, wheels squealing, and began following Malik. _I know  
what he means. I know Malik well enough to get that impression. I wonder why Bakura  
warned me, though. I mean, it's not like he really gives a damn about me other than he  
needs me to be alive for him to roam about._  
  
Ryou sighed. It was no use thinking about a question that hadn't an answer; he been down  
that road too many times. He was beginning a new life, and it was time to get rid of the  
old habits. Today they would take Malik's ship and sail far away from here. Where, it  
seemed, they hadn't completely decided. Ryou had heard Bakura speak of Egypt,  
Morocco, India, and Mexico. Any place that had ancient treasures or great valuables  
worth the time and stealing.  
  
Ryou smiled. _I'm going to be a thief. It's really happening this time. Not like before,  
where I backed out immediately or sometimes at the last minute. Then I had things  
holding me back, holding me here, to this place; not any more. I'm finally free._ It was a  
nice thought indeed. He kept that smile in place long after those thoughts drifted away.  
  
-----  
  
TWO WEEKS LATER  
NO POV  
  
"Yuugi! Yami!" Yugi turned around to see Anzu dashing down the hall towards them.  
  
"Hey Anzu, what's up?" he asked. She stopped and panted to catch her breath.  
  
"Have you heard?"  
  
"Heard what?" Yami asked.  
  
"About Ryou! His father came home yesterday!"  
  
"You mean Ryou's back?!" Yuugi said, cheered by the prospect of seeing the quiet boy  
again.  
  
"No, that's just it. Ryou isn't with him! He's run away!"  
  
"What? Are you sure?" Yami demanded.  
  
"Yes, he came to my house last night asking about Ryou. He found my name among  
some papers of Ryou's, and managed to get ahold of my address. I told him what Ryou  
had said to us, and he seemed both surprised and..." she trailed off.  
  
"And what?" Yami asked gently.  
  
"It bothered him. I would say it even disturbed him... a lot, in fact."  
  
"But why would Ryou run away?" Yuugi asked, more to himself than to the others.  
  
"That's just it. I can't think of any reason why he would," Anzu said dejectedly. "And  
besides, where would he go? And all alone, too."  
  
"I don't think he did this alone," Yami said. Yuugi and Anzu looked sharply at him. "Just  
some things that have caught my attention lately. It's probably nothing, but I do fear that  
perhaps he wasn't taken... willingly."  
  
"You talking about the spirit of the Ring, aren't you?" Yuugi said. Yami nodded.  
  
"Yes. In lieu of this I must wonder if that was even Ryou speaking to us that morning and  
not him," he said.  
  
"Still... where would he-- or they-- go?" Anzu asked.  
  
"I don't know," Yami admitted. "We better tell the others. Maybe they'll have an idea."  
  
A/N: I'll tell you right now, don't expect too much of Yuugi & Co., at least not until  
towards the end. This is Ryou-centric fic, for the most part, after all.  
  
You know the drill-- reviews please! Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for every review I  
get, but I can't help but be greedy and want more. ::grin:: 


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Yay, more reviews! Whoo-hoo! ::jumps around like a mad authoress::  
  
Err, yeah, sorry. I get over-excited. It's all the Mountain Dew I've been drinking, I swear!  
::grin::  
  
Thanks for the reviews, I really enjoy reading them. And don't worry Dark Magician Girl  
/ Hikaru, I don't mind. I never explained this (and it'll show up some more in this  
chapter), so I will here. Yes, Malik isn't on good terms with Ryou because he doesn't  
think that he'll last. Same goes for Marik as well. They think Ryou's just doing this out of  
folly. That opinion will change as the story moves on.  
  
To both you and the other reviewers, feel free to point out anything and ask questions. I  
will try to answer to the best of my ability. You can leave it in the review or E-mail me, if  
you so desire. Either is fine with me, so go ahead and speak up!  
  
Enjoy.  
  
GUIDE  
  
: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts  
  
-----  
  
SAME TIME  
RYOU'S POV  
  
Ryou was laying on his stomach on the bed, preparing to write in his notebook. He had  
decided to keep a journal of this life, though Bakura had been against the idea. 'It'll  
implicate us all in everything we do if you ever forget it somewhere or someone takes it,'  
he had said. _True_, Ryou had thought, _but I'm never letting this out of my sight and neither  
will I write of any details about what we do. If it is ever seen by another, they'll just think  
it to be a travel log of some sort. Well, probably._  
  
So he wrote, every day in fact, and extensively. He still wrote to his sister, only not as  
often because he hadn't the room to keep all the letters. To make up for it, he pretended  
that he was writing this journal to his sister, though he never addressed her in any way.  
He chewed on his pen a bit before returning to his writing.  
  
_Day 14_  
_14:25 PM_  
  
_We're still here in Mexico. I still haven't gotten an answer as to why they chose  
this place, but I suppose they won't trust me with such information for awhile. I am still  
new at this, though B. has kept the training schedule. I've learned how to hide better, but  
the J.K. still hasn't left my bag. I don't think it will for some time. I think I have  
impressed Bakura a bit, since I seem to be a quick study, but Malik still has his own  
agenda with me and it doesn't involve training._  
  
Ryou looked over to Malik, who was currently napping in a nearby chair. He had the  
chair leaned back against the wall, balanced on two legs, and his feet upon on the table.  
Bakura was on the other side of the table, sketching something. Layouts, probably. Marik  
was out stalking the streets, most likely scaring everybody by babbling and cursing in  
ancient Egyptian. Ryou understood a good bit of it, though he wished he didn't.  
  
Ryou had worried about language problems a bit, but he had always been gifted in  
whatever vernacular was spoken. More than likely he'd be speaking near about every  
predominant language, or at least enough to get by, in a few years. International thievery  
seemed to have a good bit of perks. Ryou smiled and glanced back over what he had just  
written.  
  
He used the initials J.K.-- Jackal Knife-- for Bakura's gift, since mentioning learning how  
to use a weapon would seem a little suspicious if he was going to keep the details to a  
minimum.  
  
Bakura's training consisted of how to conceal weapons (using a variety from Malik's and  
his collections) and how to use them. He was also teaching him how to be silent and  
swift. Ryou was still clumsy, but had improved a greatly over what he had been. Bakura  
apparently didn't know or care, but Ryou had often studied his movements and actions  
and sometimes would mimic them. It helped at times, especially when a bully decided to  
prove his toughness on Ryou's hide.  
  
_I wonder how much longer we will remain here. It's not that I don't like it, I do,  
but I am getting restless. Stuck in this bloody room most of the time and not with the most  
lively of company. I won't say I'm itching for something to happen, but I'm getting close.  
I guess it isn't too bad, as I've learned a decent amount of Spanish from listening to the  
locals talk and studying my grammar book._  
  
Ryou wanted to mention that it had been his first unofficial thievery, though the others  
didn't know it, but knew it was definitely not a good idea. He was proud of himself, even  
if it hadn't been all that hard. The guy he had taken it from was blind in one eye and had  
been too busy arguing with another customer. All he had to do was pick it up, slip it in his  
pocket, and walk away. It had made him feel giddy, reminiscent of the day he left.  
  
Just then, Bakura stopped sketching and held the paper up. Appearing satisfied, he rolled  
it up, put a rubber band on it, and tossed it in his bag, which laid open on the other bed.  
He dug through Malik's bag for a minute, pocketed something, then went over to Ryou.  
  
"C'mon, training time. You can write later." Ryou obediently put the pen and notebook  
away and followed Bakura up to the roof. "I know about your little lift," he said, once  
they arrived up there.  
  
"I know it's not anything to you, but... I was curious. I wanted to see what it felt like,"  
Ryou explained shyly.  
  
"You wanted to know what it felt like?" Ryou nodded. "Well? What did you feel?"  
  
"Giddy... excited... energized... all at once." Bakura smirked.  
  
"Good feeling, right?"  
  
"Yeah, it was pretty great," Ryou replied. The smirk vanished.  
  
"Well, you need to learn to control that feeling. You get giddy, you get cocky, you get  
caught. Unless you want that or are trying to make a statement, don't let that feeling get to  
you, or the next lock you pick will be on your cell door, got it?" Ryou nodded. "Now,  
why in the blue hell did you steal a grammar book?"  
  
"Thought it be useful," Ryou said, shrugging. "I mean, if you know the language, that's a  
big help." Bakura raised an eyebrow. Ryou sighed and continued. "Say you steal  
something and you're going to sell it. If you know the language, it'll be easier, safer, and  
quicker, instead of having to use a translator."  
  
"Thinking ahead, not bad. So, how much of this language you got down?"  
  
"Yo hablo español un poco," Ryou said. Bakura's smirk returned. (A/N: "I speak Spanish  
a little.")  
  
"You may be useful yet. Now, time for practice."  
  
A/N: See, I told you it was getting interesting! And trust me, it's not going to be easy for  
Ryou. A word of warning: there's angst a-plenty in this story. (It seems that's all I can  
write. ::sweatdrop::)  
  
Also, about Malik and Marik... I never outright say that they're together. If you don't like  
yaoi, then it's not there; if you do, then it is. And no, this isn't a Bakura / Ryou story  
either, though that is my favorite pairing of the series. So yaoi-haters, have no fear!  
  
That said, I know I probably upset several people. Sorry to you all. I hope you won't hate  
me too much and will continue to read this story, even if you don't review. 


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: Um, not much, actually. Well, except for... LONG CHAPTER FINALLY. ::grin::  
  
Enjoy.  
  
GUIDE  
  
: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts  
  
-----  
  
SAME DAY, LATER THAT NIGHT  
NO POV  
  
"Are ya sure?" Jou asked, not believing.  
  
"Yes. It doesn't make any sense, I know," Yami replied. They were all gathered inside his  
living room, above the game shop. "I'm wondering the same thing you are-- why did he  
leave?"  
  
"I think it's safe to say we all are," Otogi said. He hadn't known Ryou that well, but it did  
seem odd for the quiet boy to do something like this.  
  
"I'm starting think more and more that you were right, Yami," Anzu said. "Maybe that  
dark spirit from the Ring kidnapped him."  
  
"I don't know... I mean, what if he did go willingly?" Honda suggested.  
  
"All alone?" Anzu asked.  
  
"Who's to say he didn't go with that spirit?"  
  
"But why would he? That spirit was evil, remember? Ryou's not like that," Jou said.  
  
"Are you certain about that?" Otogi questioned.  
  
"What do you mean?" Yami asked.  
  
"Look, you guys knew him better than I did, but still, you have to admit that he was a  
mystery to us. How do we know he wasn't in league with that spirit all along?"  
  
"I can't see Ryou as evil," Yuugi said. "I mean, he's just too..."  
  
"Innocent," Yami said.  
  
"Yeah," Yuugi said weakly.  
  
"Maybe that's why he left," Otogi told them. A silence fell between the friends.  
  
It wasn't to be ever be completely filled.  
  
-----  
  
"Alright, here's the plan," Bakura said. He laid out his sketches on the table as the others  
gathered round. "This is the layout of the pyramid. It's the local tourist attraction and  
pretty much the only thing left in this hell-hole of a town, so it has a decent amount of  
guards and alarms around."  
  
"Lasers?" Malik asked. Bakura shook his head.  
  
"Not that advanced. Your regular rent-a-cops, trip alarms, silent alarms, and a sensitivity  
pad."  
  
"The guards, how much they packin'?" Marik asked.  
  
"Tasers, nightsticks, and pistols. Not all have everything, but the ones inside do. There's  
about ten of 'em during the day, so probably only a few at night."  
  
"And the goal? How deep in?" Bakura pulled another sketch and laid it on top of the  
other one. "See this room? It's roped off, but at the end of it is a hallway. It's the only  
available path. It's down there."  
  
"And the time?" Malik asked.  
  
"An hour, two tops," Bakura replied. "We already have what we'll need, so we could pull  
this off tomorrow."  
  
"Wouldn't it be better to..." Ryou started. He stopped. "Never mind, it's stupid."  
  
"You start a sentence, you finish it," Bakura told him. They all looked at him expectantly,  
and his nature was telling him to submit and be quiet, but he willed it away and spoke up  
again.  
  
"It's just... it can't be right. I mean, I know you guys are that good, but still it seems too  
easy."  
  
"And why is that?" Marik asked in tone that suggested he was mocking Ryou. That made  
Ryou mad, and he sent a glare to Marik.  
  
"You do realize that my father is an archaeologist?" he said.  
  
"This isn't a time to brag, brat," Malik said.  
  
"I'm not bragging and I'm not a brat! Listen to me. My father is archaeologist. He has  
digs all over the world, not just Egypt. He did one here, in Mexico, several years ago.  
Remember, Bakura? He dragged home that step from a pyramid similar to this that still  
had blood stains on it from the sacrifices?" Ryou asked his dark.  
  
"Yeah, I remember. What's your point?"  
  
"My point is, I know more about the pyramids here than you do. These people, the  
Aztecs, the Mayans, the Toltecs, all of them, they were as tricky and as devious with their  
designs as they Egyptians were. Bakura, you've robbed many a pyramid tomb, how were  
the traps?"  
  
"Nasty as hell," he said.  
  
"Wouldn't you be a bit suspicious if one of them were this easy?"  
  
"These people weren't Egyptian. They were simple-minded and sacrificial loving," Marik  
said.  
  
"You're still the rookie brat. You got a lot to learn," Malik said. They left the room,  
probably in search for the bar.  
  
: Maybe I should've stayed home, : Ryou said.  
  
"If you can't handle a simple put-down by those two jackasses, you sure as hell aren't  
going to last long. Remember what I said about getting cocky and getting caught?" Ryou  
nodded. "Prime example, right there. I thought of that myself, and I'm going tonight to  
check it out."  
  
"They'll be too drunk to notice," Ryou muttered. Bakura snorted.  
  
"That's something else you're gonna have to get use to. They get drunk. A lot." He  
paused, and studied Ryou. Ryou sighed again.  
  
"I know what your thinking. I can handle them. If they're too bad, I'll lock myself in the  
bathroom or go sleep on the roof," Ryou said.  
  
"You sure?" Ryou nodded. "Because, I think I have a better idea." Ryou looked at him,  
confused. Bakura just smirked.  
  
-----  
  
_I can't believe it! I'm really here, with Bakura, and we're going to scope out the  
pyramid!_ Ryou thought. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest, and he was sure  
the guard not ten feet away from him could hear it as well. _Calm down,_ he told himself. It  
didn't work. He was just too excited.  
  
: : Alright, since we're here, I might as well take the opportunity to teach you some  
things, : : Bakura said.  
  
: Okay, : Ryou replied.  
  
: : See the guard? Watch how he checks things. : : Ryou did, focusing on the guard's face  
in the dim light. It was a three-quarter moon, which certainly helped.  
  
: There's a pattern. Left, right, pyramid, path, forest, road, : he said after a few minutes.  
  
: : Exactly. So, what would be the best time to make a break for the pyramid? : : Bakura  
quizzed.  
  
Ryou thought about that. He studied the guard, noting how long he spent on each check.  
_Okay, Ryou, think. We need to go left. If we go when he looks right, we'll have about four  
seconds to get to the pyramid before he looks that way. If we wait for the path to go, we'll  
get about five seconds before he checks the road. It can't be done..._ He panicked. He  
didn't want to seem stupid or blind to the obvious. Bakura wouldn't give him a trick  
question, would he? _Knowing him... he would. So what do I do?_  
  
The pyramid, path, and road were on the left. If they went right, they would get to the  
forest. From the forest... _That's it. Forget making a break for the pyramid, we'll head to  
the forest. From there we can go around and up the path from behind and get in without  
the guard noticing, if we time it just right._  
  
: When he looks to the pyramid, run for the forest. If we can make it behind the trees, he  
won't see us. After he looks there, make for the path. He can't see us in the shadows.  
After he checks there, we'll have almost twenty seconds to make it inside, : he told  
Bakura.  
  
: : Damn. : :  
  
: What? Did I say something wrong? : Ryou asked, looking over to Bakura, who just  
shook his head.  
  
: : Ryou... GO NOW!! : :  
  
Startled, Ryou dashed for the forest without a word. He dove behind a tree, and turned to  
see Bakura dive behind him.  
  
THA-THUMP-THA-THUMP-THA-THUMP-THA-THUMP  
  
Ryou's heart was pounding now. If the guard hadn't heard it earlier, he had to now, and if  
he didn't, then he was stone deaf. _If living a life a crime doesn't kill me, my comrades  
will._ As soon as the guard looked to the road he ran silently to the back of the path. He  
kept an eye on the guard still, because the road wasn't too far from the path, though on  
the other side from where he ran to. He dashed into the shadows._ Three, two, one, go!_ he  
told himself, running up the side of the pyramid.  
  
It was severely steep and tall, but because of the moon's angle, from the first tier up the  
pyramid remained in shadows. Ryou, not caring what Bakura might think, used both his  
hands and feet to climb. He reached the top and stood. Bakura was right behind him with  
a smirk on his face.  
  
: : I'll lead from here on out, : : he said. Ryou nodded, though it was kinda silly to do so  
in the near pitch dark. He saw Bakura head in and he followed.  
  
Bakura had been right, there were only two visible guards. _I wonder what we're after. It  
can't be too important if there isn't many guards... unless these people don't know what  
is here. But if that's true, then how on earth did Malik know about this place?_ Ryou, with  
further thought, decided that he'd rather not know. Malik probably had been running  
through people's minds again. _The thing is, for that to be possible, then somebody must  
have known about this. I wonder..._  
  
It wasn't hard to dodge the two guards and make to the room with the hallway. Bakura  
paused a moment before entering. Ryou watched him glance every direction every few  
steps, and he well knew why. If his theory was right about these pyramids being as  
dangerous as the ones in Egypt, then a part of the wall could collapse on you or the floor  
could crumble beneath you in seconds. Hidden blades and the like weren't out of the  
question either.  
  
Ryou's heart was still pounding._ Be still my beating heart,_ he thought. He kept glancing  
back, half-expecting to see a rolling boulder after them. _I have watched way too much  
Indiana Jones,_ he thought, scolding himself for being so silly. He trusted Bakura. Well...  
Bakura's skills, anyhow.  
  
The tunnel ended suddenly, and Ryou nearly ran into Bakura as a result of his constant  
looking back. Bakura was looking all around, but seemed to be growing frustrated, if  
Ryou could sense anything from their mindlink.  
  
: What is it? : he asked.  
  
: : There is no door, false or otherwise, : : he replied.  
  
: What do you see? : Ryou knew that his yami had very good night sight, probably a  
benefit of being the living dead. He also knew that they reflected, much like a cat's. It  
was eerie to see that. A flash of light in the dark and red irises reflecting back to you.  
  
: : Carvings. : :  
  
: What kind? :  
  
: : Seems to be animals and people all around this one central carving. A god, probably. : :  
  
: What's he doing? :  
  
: : Either puking up slaves and blood or devouring them, : : Bakura replied nonchalantly. :  
: Make any sense to you? : :  
  
: Show me, : Ryou replied, ignoring his other's question. Bakura took Ryou's hand and  
placed upon what he assumed was the god carving. Ryou ran his hands over it, forming a  
mental picture at the same time. : What's this? :  
  
: : His eyes. : :  
  
: Where's he looking? :  
  
: : Up. : :  
  
: Straight up or to above and behind us? :  
  
: : Well, I'll be damned. : :  
  
: What?: Ryou demanded. He felt Bakura brush by him. : What is it? :  
  
: : He's looking up and behind you to another carving. Same god, except he's looking  
somewhere else. Straight down. : :  
  
: And there? :  
  
: : The same carving again, except the eyes are closed. : :  
  
: That's it then. It's the key. Something must set it off. : Ryou remembered something. :  
Bakura, you had mentioned a sensitivity pad. Where is it? :  
  
: : I... don't know. I heard one of the guards saying something about it to another. We  
haven't come across it yet, : : he admitted.  
  
: That's odd... :  
  
: : What? : :  
  
: I don't know if you know this, but sensitivity pads are also called pressure pads, and I  
have heard of such things in tombs and the like. Maybe they weren't talking about a  
security device, rather, about the key. :  
  
: : Wait a minute, are you telling me that those guards know about what's inside? : : Ryou  
wondered about that. _It makes sense if... if Malik did read someone's mind, it could've  
been one of those guards._ It all clicked.  
  
: Bakura, I believe we may have some competition. The general consensus appears to be  
that no one knows of this, except these two. Most likely Malik received his information  
from them or a mutual source. I wonder... : Ryou let his thought trail off. He sent Bakura  
a mischievous grin.  
  
: : Now that's an expression I like. : :  
  
: What do you say about letting someone else do the hard work, and perhaps, even take  
the blame? :  
  
: : Alright, who are you and where's my hikari? Because that sounds like something I  
would say, : : Bakura replied in an amused tone.  
  
: You've rubbed off on me, what can I say? : Ryou said. Truth was, this was one of  
Bakura's mannerisms that Ryou had studied and copied, but he wasn't going to tell him  
that.  
  
: : Well, I say hell yeah. Let's get back to the hotel before Malik and Marik drink it dry. : :  
With that said, Bakura led the way out of the pyramid.  
  
A/N: Looks like Ryou has perfect timing, ne? He keeps getting more and more suprising.  
  
I know, I made Malik and Marik seem like jerks, but you know they're not going to take  
it easy on the new kid. They'll become more friendlier (or about as friendly as Marik can  
get) as the story progresses, so no worries. Bakura just seems to have more faith in him  
because, well, let's face it, who knows Ryou better than he?  
  
Review, ¡por favor! 


	7. Chapter Six

A/N: Okay, this is the first actual "dark" chapter, and believe me, Ryou's not getting off  
easy. I went ahead and upped the rating to R, though I probably could have waited for a  
few more chapters. Ah, well, might as well get it over with.

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

Ryou was currently stationed at the top of the pyramid, serving as lookout. He was  
crouched in the shadows, constantly moving his eyes over the area to check for anything  
slightly suspicious.

It had been a week since Bakura and he had cased the joint. (Malik's terminology was  
beginning to rub off, much to Ryou's chagrin.) Once sober, their partners-in-crime agreed  
with Ryou's assumption. Malik seemed a bit surprised that Ryou guessed how he  
received his info, and Ryou couldn't help but be a bit smug about it.

_Cool it, remember what Bakura said,_ he told himself as the smugness came back.

Malik had gone on the tourist tour to see if he could get any more info out of the two  
guards' heads. Sure enough, he found plenty. All of their plans, in fact. Malik had walked  
back into their hotel room grinning like the cat that just caught the mouse. It was then that  
Bakura drew up new plans.

They were to follow the two guards and let them do the hard work. Once inside the  
antechamber-- Ryou had finally been told they were after some priceless antiques that  
were within a tomb deep inside-- the two guards would be knocked out or taken over by  
Malik. Then the tomb would be robbed, and the guards left there, unless Malik did take  
control. In that case, some less-than-worthy items would be given to them and they would  
leave the pyramid, still under his control, to be caught while they got away. Ryou grinned,  
despite himself. He was feeling giddy again, but was making sure it didn't go to his head,  
though he knew he could barely contain himself.

He had volunteered for the job of lookout, leaving the thieving to the professionals this  
time. That and he knew he'd probably get a little too over eager and make a mistake. He  
didn't want to screw up his first real mission.

He glanced at his watch. It had been almost a hour, and there could very well be another  
one before the job was up. He was getting restless and itchy. The silence was aggravating,  
and he didn't want to bother Bakura, who'd chew him out royally. Nothing to do but  
wait... and wait... and wait...

Something caught his eye. A shadow? _Probably just my nerves and imagination,_ Ryou  
thought, but he did keep on alert. _Wait, there it is again! Somebody's coming up the  
pyramid!_ Still unwilling to disturb Bakura just yet, he listened and kept his eyes open.  
Sure enough, the sound of footsteps approached. Bakura crouched down lower, willing  
himself to blend into the darkness.

A figure appeared. All Ryou could tell was that it was male. The air seem to become  
heavy, and the silence seemed to become only more deafening. Something wasn't right.  
Ryou held his breath, too scared to even breathe.

"They better have found it... or death will come to them," the figure said quietly. At first  
Ryou thought he was talking to someone, but then decided he was just thinking allowed.  
Did the two guards have an accomplice? Or was this their informant? The figure didn't  
move, just stood there staring at the opening. Ryou finally admitted that it was time to  
contact Bakura.

: Bakura... :

: : What is it?! : : came the scathing reply. Ryou fought the feeling to submit.

: There's someone here. :

: : What? Where? : :

: Here on the landing with me. It's a man. He spoke, talking to himself, and from what I  
gather he's either an accomplice of those guards or their informant. :

: : What exactly did he say? : : There was urgency in the voice this time.

: 'They better have found it... or death will come to them,' : Ryou quoted. : He's just  
standing there, right outside the opening. I think he's waiting for them. :

: : Shit, : : Bakura said, before their mindlink was abruptly ended.

Ryou didn't know what to do. Should he remain where he was or try and attack this guy?  
_Bakura didn't say to do anything, so I'll stay here in the shadows... unless... I am forced  
to attack,_ he thought. He was anything but giddy now, and fear was beginning to  
penetrate his mind. He mentally shook himself. _I can't get scared now. I may have to act._

An eternity seemed to pass by. Ryou hesitantly had to allow himself to breathe or else  
face passing out. Even so, it was short, quick breaths that he willed to be as silent as the  
air around him. The figure never moved or gave any indication that he knew Ryou was  
there. Finally, just when Ryou thought he was about ready to lose it, Bakura spoke.

: : Alright, we've got the goods and we're comin' out. Malik's got these two idiots under  
control. He's gonna send them out with some various worthless things. It should distract  
this guy of yours long enough for us to beat it. It's up to you to tell us when to come out,  
ya got it? : :

: Yes, : Ryou replied shakily.

: : Don't fuck this up, you hear me? : : Ryou took a deep breath at what could be  
considered Bakura's form of encouragement.

: I won't, : he replied as strongly as he could. It must have been believable enough, for  
Bakura said no more.

A moment passed and Ryou could hear footsteps echoing from within. The two guards  
emerged stiffly, a sure sign that Malik was indeed in control. One had a pack slung over  
his shoulder.

"Did you get it?" the mystery guy asked. The one with the pack held it up. He slung it  
back over his shoulder. "Prove it."

_Uh-oh. He's going to see..._ Ryou didn't finish the thought. He watched, ready to take  
action, as Pack Guy hesitantly opened it up. He pulled something out quickly then put it  
back, but Mystery Guy didn't seem pleased.

"Give me that!" he hissed, grabbing the pack. He opened it and pulled the object out  
again. Ryou saw that it looked to be a pot of some sort. "What is this? This isn't what we  
came here for!"

"Well..." Malik said through Pack Guy. Ryou knew it was time to act and he just prayed  
that he didn't screw this up.

He whistled, drawing all attention to where he was in the shadows. He still couldn't be  
seen, but he knew Malik knew he was there.

"What was that? Who's there?" Mystery Guy said.

Despite being scared out of his wits, Ryou made himself laugh. He went down a few  
steps, crawling on all fours, and moved over until he was behind the guy. He crept up  
and, grabbing the guys leg, laughed again. The guy fell forward and Ryou pounced,  
flipping him over and holding him down. He managed to get his hand over the guy's  
mouth, but not before he managed to get out a cry.

: GO! : he shouted through the mindlink, and a few seconds later they appeared. Malik  
rendered the two guards unconscious.

: : What the hell-- : :

: Get going, I'll keep him busy! Unless you'd rather get caught! There'll be guards all  
over this place if he was heard! : Bakura didn't hesitate and the three were off.

The guy kept struggling and finally got the better of Ryou. He was flipped over and onto  
his back. Before he knew what hit him, a fist landed on the side of his face. He'd been  
through some bad beatings in his life, so he managed to shake enough of it off. He kneed  
the guy in the stomach and flipped back over so he was holding the guy down.

He heard a few shouts and some footsteps and knew that the guards were coming. He had  
to get out of there. Mustering his strength he hit the guy as hard as he could in the face,  
and heard the sickening crack of bone breaking. He had broken the guy's nose, and now  
he was yelping like a madman.

_Shut up shut up shut up shut up,_ Ryou began chanting. Why won't this guy shut up?!  
Despite the injury the guy fought back still. The guards were close now. The guy shoved  
Ryou off of him and stood up. Ryou scrambled up. The guy charged, but Ryou dodged,  
diving off to the side. Unfortunately for the guy, he couldn't stop, and he plunged down  
the steep side of the pyramid. Ryou looked in horror, frozen to the place. The guards were  
closing in on him, but he couldn't move. He had just killed a man....

: : RYOU, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?! : : Bakura nearly screamed, shaking Ryou  
out of his freeze. He bolted and crawl-ran down the one side of the pyramid as fast as he  
could.

It seemed forever before he reached the bottom, and once there he broke into a run and  
didn't stop for anything. He didn't stop until he ran inside the hotel room where he  
collapsed onto the bed and promptly passed out.

A/N: Ah, a cliffhanger almost. Don't worry, I'll be updating soon. (It's every three days if  
I can help it.) Feel free to flame me as you wish; I probably deserve it. Hey, Ryou was  
never told this was going to be easy. The question is, now, how will he handle what he  
did? 


	8. Chapter Seven

A/N: You're gonna kill me. Well, I hope not, but probably. Why, you ask? Simple. The  
little ol' horror known as TIME SKIP.

Yup, I jump forward by a year. Now, now, don't panic, it's all explained! ::dodges various  
flying objects::

You see, this chapter is a filler / go-between of the second mini-arc of this story. You  
know how in some shows there's an episode or two that wraps up the last arc and sets  
everything up for the next one? That's what this is. I know, many of you are going to hate  
me, but at least try to give it a shot. Who knows, maybe it won't be as bad as you think.  
::grins hopefully::

Also, I went ahead and upped the rating for upcoming chapters, to those of you who were  
wondering. It may not seem like R material, but this is we're talking about and I'm  
not taking any chances.

Enjoy. (I hope.)

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

ONE YEAR LATER  
RYOU'S POV

I still regret that night. I know it wasn't my fault, it wasn't like I pushed him or anything,  
but I still feel guilty. Bakura tried to reason it, saying that if I hadn't dodged we'd both  
would have fallen off the edge, but it is still a wound that runs deep.

At first, I had wanted to go back. I couldn't handle this life, I thought. I wasn't meant to  
be a thief. I knew, though, that I could never truly go back; I wasn't just a thief. I was a  
murderer, and no matter how accepting they had been, Yuugi and the others would never  
have accepted that. Even Seto Kaiba would have shunned me for that act.

Each day that passed for several weeks I ached for home and for before. How had I  
wanted this life, I wondered. How could I have longed for a life of thievery.... I know the  
answer to that question, and it was the only thing that kept me from just giving up on  
everything. It was the freedom I had to do what I wanted and to be who I choose to be. It  
was the rush of being one step ahead of everybody else, of being a part of something that  
most people could never understand. I was a part of something that most only dreamt of...  
and I, even though I hated myself for it, loved every minute of it.

It didn't stop me from regretting that night. Instead, it made me make a vow never to kill  
again. Malik and Marik scoffed a bit at first, saying that it came with the job description,  
but once they saw that I wasn't joking, they let it go. Bakura never said anything of it, and  
still don't know what he thinks. I guess it doesn't really matter. I'd stick to it whether he  
liked it or not. Maybe that's why he stays silent.

The vow also helped me to become better. I reasoned that if I was a better thief, then it  
was less likely I would ever put any innocents in harm's way. I trained hard, and even  
asked Marik for some pointers. He seemed a bit surprised, but gave me some  
hand-to-hand combat training, just in case. He showed me how to hurt my opponent the  
most. I manipulated it so that they would be hurt, but not fatally or for life. I was a  
defender, not on the offense.

It was also because of that vow and the subsequent training that I found my true niche. I  
was a master at lifting things. I could take anything, in plain view of everyone, and not  
have one person notice. As a game, I would often do this with Malik's Sennen Rod, or at  
least I did until he threatened bodily harm with its hidden knife. I now only lift and hide his  
other weapons and his jewelry. I'm not dumb enough to take anything of Marik's-- he  
would kill me. Bakura, however, I will lift things from, but only if I am extremely bored. It  
doesn't provoke the same reaction. Whereas Malik freaks out and rants, Bakura will just  
ignore me entirely until I give whatever it was back to him.

I guess you could say I've come to terms with my chosen life for the most part. I do enjoy  
it, but at times I wonder what life would have been like if I had stayed in Japan.

I suppose I should mention that I haven't been back there since I left. We've been all over  
the world-- India, China, France, England, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, you name it,  
we've been there. Our usual targets are priceless antiques, jewels, things from private  
collectors, and basically anything shiny and worth money. We never hold onto what we  
have for long, and usually sell it the next country we arrive in. We refuse to be hired,  
unless we are really desperate for cash, which has only happened once this past year.

I'm out on the balcony of our hotel room, which overlooks a street bazaar below. We're  
in Morocco for a little celebrating. We just pulled off our biggest heist to date, or at least  
one I've been a part of, and have decided to take a week off. We just managed to plunder  
an ancient Nubian king's tomb that had remained untouched. It was rare find indeed, and  
I'll admit it, I had stolen everything that wasn't nailed down, but so did the others, so I  
wasn't alone in my joy.

It's strange. I've turned into a regular kleptomaniac, often stealing things just because I  
can. Thievery has become a drug, and I'm addicted. Even Bakura, King of Thieves, can't  
understand my need for stealing anything I can get my hands on. He's a bit of a klepto, but  
only for shiny things. Me, I'll steal, literally, anything. Eyeglasses, cups, lighters, clothes...  
I've even stolen hubcaps. I used them as frisbees, throwing them randomly from atop  
various buildings in the middle of the night. Rather amusing, if I do say so myself.

Yeah, I guess it's safe to say I've changed. Except for that vow I made, everything has  
been gradual. Even my new abilities I've had to hone, and they still aren't perfect. That's  
one of my goals-- to making my lifting skills perfect, and my other ones as well. Turns out  
I'm good for casing places. I'm quiet and blend in if I try, and no one will remember me,  
unlike my loud and sometimes (okay, usually) obnoxious comrades. There are times when  
I wonder how they ever managed to steal things and not get caught before I came around.

I've also learned how to speak or at least have a workable knowledge of several  
languages. I love languages, and often find myself imitating people's speech patterns. This  
aggravates Marik, but not in a deadly way. I often will imitate his voice, and even Malik  
will think its him. I'll do the same for Malik, and Marik will fall for it. Bakura never does,  
though, and I have yet to figure out why. Maybe he just knows me that well, but most  
likely he just takes a trip through my head to figure it out.

I've been thinking a lot lately about Yuugi and the others. Not sad thoughts, rather,  
curious ones. Like what they're up to now, what has happened since I left, and what they  
would think of me if they could see me now. They'd probably reject my lifestyle, I know.  
Like I've said before, it's a reason why I can never truly go back. I've changed so much in  
the past year. They probably wouldn't even recognize me.

My hair is still it's natural ivory, but I've cut it short. Not too short, mind you, but it's  
now only about chin length. Long hair gets in the way sometimes. I used to try and keep it  
in a pony tail or braid, but it got to be too much of hassle to keep up with and keep clean.  
Finally I just took a pair of scissors and cut off my ponytail. I panicked afterwards,  
regretting my decision, but I've grown used to it now and keep it short.

My style of clothes has changed as well. I had only packed two changes of clothes when I  
left, and they all bit the dust fast. It's become custom for me as well as the others to adopt  
the style of dress of whichever country we're in. Here I am in normal Arabic dress for a  
young man, minus the turban. I learned once that it made natives a little too uncomfortable  
and suspicious for an obvious outsider to try and blend in too much. I always make sure I  
have at least one small thing out of place, but nothing that shouts 'I'm a foreigner!' too  
much. I do like to blend in at least a little bit.

Places like this, however, are too crowded with too many people concerned about their  
own business, and I am fine with that.

I still have only one bag of possessions to my name. A shirt; a small collection of  
knickknacks I've taken; some knives, including the one Bakura gave me, which I always  
carry on my person; some cash; the photo of my mother and my sister's locket; my  
journals; and my sketch books. I often sketch scenes from places we're at and the people.  
I have several sketches of the others, including Bakura working on plans, Malik sleeping,  
and Marik cleaning a knife. I rarely show my sketches to them and they never ask to see  
them.

I have filled two journals and am just starting my third. I always get small ones, so as not  
to run out of room in my bag. I write daily if I can, and sometimes more than once. I still  
write letters to Amane, usually in my journal itself. It's not that I don't know she's dead,  
it's just that I still like to think she's around. I mean, I live and work with a spirit (Marik's  
not really one, so he doesn't count) so whose to say she isn't one? Besides, I still miss her.  
I only have my father left.

I once saw him at a dig in Egypt. We were on our way through, heading towards a tomb  
Bakura remembered, and there he was as we passed by. He was arguing with a worker  
and didn't even notice the black Rubicon as it passed. That was six months ago, and I  
haven't seen him since, although we've been back to Egypt twice. It seems he's gotten on  
with his life, which I guess isn't too far left field. He was rarely home and we barely knew  
each other in truth.

This brings me back to Yuugi and the others. I wonder if they've gotten on with their  
lives. I didn't know them very well, so it's probably safe to assume they have. I still  
wonder, though.

I was sitting on the balcony's railing, leaning against the wall. I had one foot in front of  
me, the other dangling off. I wasn't worried about falling. Besides, even I did, there were  
plenty of awnings below to break my fall. The sun was setting, and it was still warm, but I  
wasn't hot. These clothes were actually rather cool, despite their heavy appearance. I  
heard footsteps and looked over to see Bakura walk out onto the balcony.

"There you are. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Sitting," I replied nonchalantly.

"Well, get off your lazy ass and come celebrate with us," he said. I raised an eyebrow at  
him.

"You just don't want to deal with a drunk Malik and Marik alone," I said.

"If you don't come down to the bar, I'll direct them to you," he threatened. I shrugged.

"I'll just go down to the bazaar. Lift something."

"Dammit Ryou! Get your ass down to that bar before I drag you down there!" he  
growled. I smiled.

"Fine, fine, I'm coming," I said, jumping off the railing onto the balcony floor. I liked to  
annoy Bakura, but I knew when enough was enough. Had I pushed further, he would've  
carried his threat out and I would've spent the rest of the week off nursing several  
wounds.

The life of an _ijta_ indeed.

A/N: So... not as bad as you thought? ::crosses fingers:: I know it wasn't what you were  
expecting, but I hope you can forgive me. The next arc is where it gets good, I promise!  
Anyhow, I have a few random notes for you.

1. For some reason, I had Kurama from _Yu Yu Hakusho_ in mind while I wrote this. I  
don't know why, Kurama kills when forced to, but maybe you can draw some  
connections on your own. If Ryou seems... weird... that's why.

2. _Itja_ is Egyptian for "thief". No, I have NO CLUE how it's pronounced, as that  
spelling is the transliteration, so don't ask me. ::is clueless as usual:: If you know, feel free  
to drop me a line!

3. I'm not sure if you guys know (probably do if you're Ryou fans), but Amane is Ryou's  
dead sister. The one he writes letters to, apparently.

4. Last thing... could you guys be ever so kind and tell all your fellow buddies to  
check this story out? I love the reviews I get from all of you, but I can't help but be  
greedy for more. ::is shameless:: Seriously, if you would, I'd appreciate it. I won't withold  
chapters or anything if you don't, so don't feel like you need to if you don't want to. I'm  
just asking, that's all. ::grins:: 


	9. Chapter Eight

A/N: And here we have the beginning of the new arc! If you haven't guessed already,  
there will be a few of them in this story. A major one or two and plenty of little ones. But I  
talk too much! You want to read the story, not my ramblings.

It's still in Ryou's POV.

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

"Bartender! Another round!" Marik called out in Arabic.

How he and Malik managed to drink so much and not pass out is a mystery to me. Even  
Bakura didn't drink that much, though his limit wasn't too far down from theirs. I only  
drank occasionally and rarely anything harder than beer. It wasn't that I couldn't handle it,  
it was just that I didn't like not being alert and aware of my surroundings. I wouldn't say I  
was paranoid, just careful.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" I asked, receiving dirty looks in response. I  
shrugged and both Malik and Marik promptly drank half their glasses when they came.  
Bakura and I looked at each and mutually rolled our eyes. "So what else is in store for  
tonight, assuming you two don't pass out in the next hour?"

"Playtime," Malik said, leering at a few girls, who blushed and hurriedly walked away.  
Marik was too busy drinking to respond.

"Maybe a little playtime is in store," Bakura said, looking at a few himself. I sighed  
audibly. "And you're joining in this time. You need to get laid, you've gotten too damn  
uptight lately."

"Must I?" I asked, pretending it was worse than it really was. In all honesty, I wouldn't  
mind having a little romp myself tonight.

"I'll pay for it myself," he said.

I shrugged again. Hey, if he was paying, I was up for it. I wasn't innocent little Ryou any  
more, not in most cases. When you live with rough and rowdy friends like Bakura, Malik,  
and Marik, you lose a lot of innocence fast. I mean, it's not like I go out lookin' for a  
good time every night; I hadn't had a romp in two months.

A shadow fell across our table and it wasn't a waitress. A guy, clothed locally and in  
black, just stood there until we were all staring at him expectantly. He was nervous and  
glanced over his shoulder a couple of times before grabbing a nearby chair and sitting  
down.

"Are you the great thieves that everyone speaks of?" he asked in Arabic. Malik and Marik  
sobered up quick and we all shared a look. Who was this guy? Nobody answered, but he  
continued anyway. "My master has a proposition for you. He has a desire to obtain a  
priceless object from the museum in Casablanca for his private collection."

"What makes you think we're thieves, especially these 'great thieves that everyone speaks  
of'?" Bakura asked.

"My master told me that these thieves are in possession of Sennen Items," he replied,  
nodding to me. I glanced down. Crap, I had forgotten to put the Ring underneath my shirt.  
Ignoring the glares I was getting, I spoke.

"Even if we are, what makes you think that we are for hire? And how do you know that  
we won't just kill you for bothering us?" It was an empty threat, but he didn't know that.  
He became a bit more agitated.

"Please, you must understand. My master isn't trying to insult you. Be proud, he has never  
chosen this method of obtaining before. And he will handsomely reward your efforts," he  
replied.

"How much we talkin'?" Marik inquired.

"A million dollars, American money. Each." I let out a low whistle. That was good cash,  
even in our line of work, but I retained some suspicions.

"If your master is so rich, why doesn't he just take this object of desire himself?" I asked,  
studying the man's reaction closely. He appeared to have expected this.

"My master has run into a bit of legal wrangling as of late, and does not wish to be  
implicated even slightly."

" 'Legal wrangling'?"

"Yes, his status as a philanthropist has been called into question by a section of our  
government. They cannot damage him, however, any implications by other sources may  
have a... straining effect on his business partners. You understand?"

"Yes," Malik said. He took a long drink before speaking again. "But how do we know we  
can trust you?"

"You will be given five hundred thousand dollars each up front. At any time you may back  
out and keep the money given to you, no strings attached or any obligations. It is a very  
enticing deal, you must admit," he said. A little too enticing, I thought.

"Just what is that we are after?"

"Such information is strictly confidential unless you agree to do this. Security reasons, you  
understand," he replied.

"But what if we decide to walk? That sounds like a breach of security to me," I countered.  
He became nervous again.

"Yes, well, my master seems to think you won't walk," he said, refusing to make eye  
contact. "Please, I need an answer now. Will you take the job?"

"We need think it over," Marik said, which surprised me, since he was impulsive on most  
things. Do first, think later, you could say.

"Very well. It two days' time I will return here. I bid you goodnight, gentlemen," he said,  
standing and taking his leave.

Something didn't smell right and it wasn't the beer.

-----

I was back on the balcony. It was getting late, but I couldn't sleep. Apparently, neither  
could Malik, as he came out and leaned against the railing in front of me. We didn't speak  
for few moments, but he finally broke the silence.

"What do you think?"

"It's a sweet deal, and the option of walking is nice, but I still don't like it. 'My master  
seems to think you won't walk.' That doesn't sound very promising," I said.

"I know, but how often does an opportunity like this arise? Five hundred thousand dollars  
each! That's a two mil total! We only got a mil for our last job. This would be enough  
cash to last us a half a year, maybe longer. We can go vacation somewhere. Hell, we could  
even go back--"

"I don't like it," I said, cutting him off. I didn't want to hear about Japan. Not now. "It  
just doesn't feel right."

"Ryou, you're a thief, you steal things for a living. I think you would've gotten used to  
that by now," he replied.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," I said, glaring at him. He shrugged and a  
silence fell. It lasted for a few minutes, before I broke it this time.

"It's up to you guys. I'll go along if you all decide to go for it."

"Well, it has been a while since we've stolen from a museum. They can be tricky," he  
remarked.

"Hmm," was all I said to that. After a moment he went back inside. I stayed where I was  
for a little while longer before retreating myself. I had to try and get some form of sleep.  
Something told me I was going to need it.

A/N: Ah, have you intrigued do I? (If that makes no sense, sorry. It's how people talk  
around here. Translation: I've got you interested, right?) I hope so. This chapter was a  
little bit on the short side, but they'll be long again soon, I promise.

And wowsers, oh-me-oh-my, Ryou's not "innocent"! C'mon, seriously, with those three  
you'd think he'd last? Pfft. ::dodges all objects thrown at her::

Err... review? ¿Por favor? 


	10. Chapter Nine

A/N: Sorry I'm late posting this. My Internet died. ::glares at server:: Did I ever say that I  
hated weather...? If not... I DO.

It's still in Ryou's POV.

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

I was taking the highlight tour of the museum, mostly to get the basic layout. Bakura was  
somewhere nearby, probably on a roof of a nearby building, sketching things as I told him.  
I was dressed in the usual, the only thing different was I had on a big floppy hat. It  
should've stood out, but several tourists were wearing them, so it was my perfect disguise.

: Two intersecting hallways to right, : I said. I was alternately pretending to look at a little  
hand guide they had handed out and listening to our guide. Truth was, I couldn't tell you  
one thing he had said since the tour began. : A long corridor on the left. I think it leads to  
another part of the museum. :

: : Ahab said it was in this part. : : he replied. We had nicknamed the guy that approached  
us the very common and derogatory 'Ahab'. Who knew that Marik was a Ray Stevens  
fan?

: 'The eye of the beholder', he said. Just what am I on the lookout for? : I asked. : Two  
skylights, north-south, by the way. :

There was a pause before he answered. : : How the hell should I know? Just look for any  
possibilities. : :

Ahab had said that he would tell us what to get after we had cased the museum and had a  
plan of action. He was holding the trump card and I still didn't like it. If I wasn't  
out-voiced three to one I would've walked the first opportunity that arose.

"Isn't that magnificent?" a woman beside me said as the group moved on. I nodded,  
having no idea what she was talking about. "I last testiment to love! So romantic! Beauty  
is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose."

"What did you say?" I asked, my full attention on her. She was a tourist alright, American  
I'd say by the accent. Oh, and the fact that her Arabic was worse than a drunken Malik's.

"You heard him, didn't you? The guide?" I shook my head.

"I was too busy admiring," I replied smoothly. She smiled and repeated what the guide  
had said.

"I know, it was certainly beautiful. The statue was commissioned by a king to comemorate  
his wife's beauty. It was carved out of solid gold and inlaid with so many jewels! Did you  
notice her eyes? They were diamonds! The inscription at the bottom says 'Eye of the  
Beholder', which was what the king nicknamed his wife and her eye for beautiful things.  
Oh, how I wish my husband would do something like that..." I tuned out and relayed the  
message to Bakura.

: : Well, shit the bed! : : he exclaimed. I mentally groaned at his choice of phrases. That  
was one of his favorites.

: I sincerely hope not, : I replied monotonely.

: : Can you get away and get back to it? : :

: Not at the moment. Tour's almost over, anyhow. There were some benches back there;  
I'll pretend I'm taking a rest. : Bakura sent a mental nod of agreement.

I still didn't like it.

-----

I watched the guard and followed his movements with my eyes. _Okay, back and forth,  
pause at the column, back and forth, pause at the other column, repeat,_ I said to myself. I  
was currently crouched behind the one column, and I noticed that he never looked my  
way. What is it with security guards? Are they all really that bad, or just ones we come  
across?

As soon as he paused, I reached out and quickly lifted the keys to the door. He started  
walking towards the other end, unaware that anything had occured. I now had to  
somehow get the pass card that was around his neck without alerting him or anyone else.  
_Hmm, how to do this? I could knock him out, but someone might notice him missing.  
Maybe I could...._ It was risky, but I knew I could do it.

I looked around and grabbed a small stone. Tossing it lightly when he paused at my  
column again, I didn't hesitate as soon as he turned his head. I reached out and unclipped  
the card from its chain and moved back behind the column. I waited, holding my breath,  
but a moment later I heard footsteps walking away. I peered around the bottom of the  
column, and sure enough he was back on his routine. I dashed off to the back.

: I got them. I'm coming around, : I said. The others were at the side entrance, waiting for  
me.

Once inside, Bakura easily disabled the alarms with his new toy he bought with his share  
of our last job. He nodded to me to lead the way. We had to be quick, just in case there  
was a silent alarm attached to the others.

I led the way to the where the statue was housed inside a case of glass. We all stayed a  
good distance from it, for even with the alarms disabled, lasers could still be in play. Marik  
sprayed the air, so any and all laser beams would show up. Nothing. Something was  
definitely not right.

: If this thing is as priceless as Ahab said, then why isn't it protected more? :

: : ...Stay on it. Wait here, just in case, : : he replied. I moved to the shadows while they  
went forward. I glanced around, keeping my eyes open and alert. Something wasn't right  
about this.

Malik stationed himself on the other side of the glass case, taking up the same position I  
held. Marik and Bakura went over the case, to see if any independent alarms were in  
place. The statue, thankfully, was only about fourteen inches high plus a two inch base.  
Anything larger that was made of solid gold wouldn't be easy to sneak out. Satisfied, they  
began to lift the case....

And that's when all hell broke loose.

Out of no where a few dozen guards appeared, their guns aimed straight at Marik and  
Bakura. I smirked, neither of them had to worry about guns or even getting killed. I then  
felt something click at the back of my head.

: Shit. :

: : WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! : :

: I'm coming out, : I said. I walked out of the shadows, my hands in the air. I saw that the  
same thing was happening to Malik. Someone walked out of the hallway to my left,  
clapping. : Ahab. :

: : I'm going to kill that bastard as soon as someone tells me _what the fuck is going on!_ : :  
Bakura nearly screamed through our mindlink.

"Not bad my friends, you truly live up to your reputations. Except this time, you were  
caught, and now the legend ends," he said.

"Just who the fuck are you, Ahab?" Marik spat. He didn't have to worry about dying, but  
Malik did, and if Malik died so did he. The same went for Bakura and I.

"You offend me, Egyptian," he snarled. "I am Inspector Muhammad al-Jizna, and you are  
my greatest capture."

"A fucking cop?" Bakura growled. "How in the hell were we caught by a Ra-damned  
cop?!"

"As much as I would love to take full credit for my actions, I received most of my  
information from a most reliable source," he stated.

"Your master," I said. He nodded.

"Yes, and he is quite the philanthropist when it suits him, and you suited him well," he  
said. I glared. "Apparently he has some sort of grudge against you."

"Does your master have a name?" Malik questioned.

"Pegasus J. Crawford," he replied. I looked to Bakura.

"Shit. The. Fucking. Bed," he said. : : He wants the Sennen Eye back. : :

: You still have it? Where is it? :

: : In the Shadow Realm, : : he replied. : : Like hell I'm going to give it to him. : :

: Take a look around, Bakura; do you have a better idea? You and Marik may not have to  
worry about guns, but Malik and I do and there's no way we can take on all these cops. :

"Malik!" Bakura shouted. "Can you...?"

"Not all," he said, shaking his head. I knew Bakura was asking about his mind control  
abilities. There was too many minds to take over at once; had he time, he probably could  
have done it.

"Ryou, Malik... soul rooms, now," Bakura ordered.

Malik and I wore the same expression. If we went into our soul rooms, then Marik and  
Bakura would have to take over our bodies, which would temporarily rend them mortal. It  
wasn't that I didn't trust Bakura, but I just didn't see what he and Marik could do.

"Whatever you are planning it won't work. We know all about your little Sennen Items,"  
Ahab or Muhammed, whatever his name was, said.

"Just do it! Now!" I complied.

The following few minutes seemed to be an eternity. I paced anxiously, waiting for Bakura  
to give the okay. Without warning, I felt a tugging and was suddenly thrust back into  
conciousness. I blinked and looked around. Bakura was back at the case and Marik was  
just letting Malik back into control.

"What happened? Where is everyone?" I asked. Bakura didn't reply, only paused for a  
moment. He took the statue and checked it. Without warning he threw it as hard as he  
could at the wall. It shattered. A fake.

"C'mon," he growled, stalking back towards where the doors. I looked at Marik and  
Malik. Marik shrugged and followed. Malik did the same, leaving me alone in the  
museum.

I knew what had happened. Bakura had sent them all to the Shadow Realm, killing them. I  
dropped to the floor and threw up. The thought of it made me sick to my stomach. I knew  
Bakura had killed in the past, but nothing like this. He actually tried to avoid murder if he  
could, but wasn't past doing it.

Shakily, I stood and followed.

-----

I was on the roof of our hotel. It was still night, and cold breeze was sweeping through the  
city. I shivered, but not just from the cold. My mind kept making up scenes of Bakura  
sending all those men to the Shadow Realm. An image of him laughing, covered in blood,  
ran through my mind. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of it. It didn't go away.

I looked up at the stars. They were so clear here. Bright beacons of light, used for  
centuries for people to find their way home. A thought of the others looking at the same  
sky over in Japan crossed my mind, but I banished it. Japan wasn't my home any more. I  
was rogue, a vagabond, a nomad... where I laid my head was my home.

There's a song about that. Metallica's "Wherever I May Roam". I'm living that life, and I  
have never before been so lost in it. Even after that night at the Mexican pyramid, I at least  
knew my place in it all. Now, I'm not so sure.

I love being a thief. I love the thrill, the excitement, the secret knowledge, all of it; but if it  
means that innocents are going to die, then how can I justify it? How can say the end  
justifies the means? I've never been more confused in my life.

Bakura and I haven't spoken. He's cut off our mindlink and won't even look at me. I  
don't know whether he's ashamed or just teaching me a brutal lesson of being what I am.  
Honestly, I don't know which answer I'd rather hear.... Perhaps none at all would be best.

My vow is as clear to me now as it was when I first made it. I vowed not to ever kill if I  
even had an ounce of control over it. Somewhere inside me, I knew what Bakura would  
do if I went to my Soul Room. I knew. I should've fought that and tried to find another  
way out of it. I should've... but I didn't. Bakura would have forced me into my Soul  
Room anyhow, but at least I would have given a fight. I did nothing.

I was so confused about it all. I didn't even know which way to turn. The time had come.  
I was going to leave them. I didn't know for how long or even where I was going to go. I  
just had to get away and be alone for awhile. I needed time to think about it all.

How was I going to tell them that? How could I break the news to them? I know they  
would try and stop me. I finally decided on leaving them a note. I'd write it in the  
morning, when they all would go downstairs for breakfast and their first drink of the new  
day. I'd leave a special note for Bakura. I hope he won't be too angry with me. I hope  
he'll understand that I can't do this, at least for the time being.

I just hoped.

A/N: Bet you didn't see that coming! And I'll give you a little hint now... that won't be  
the last time you'll see good ol' Peggy-boy. ::grin::

I made up the Arabic name. Well, the last name. If it's wrong or you have a better one,  
please tell me. I'll fix it as soon as I can.

Also, I mean no offense with the 'Ahab' thing. I just didn't think that they'd be politically  
correct, you know? If I did offend anyone, I'm sorry.

About the Sennen Eye... I have no idea where Bakura keeps it on the show. He took it  
and then, far as I know, it disappeared. So I took a leap and said the Shadow Realm. I'll  
probably be proved wrong, but it made sense to me as I wrote it. (If it doesn't to you,  
don't feel bad. Weird things make sense to me.)

Reviews, please? 


	11. Chapter Ten

A/N: Another filler chapter, but a good one. ::grin:: Well, I hope so. Also, this should,  
well... I'll say at the end. (Yes, I am evil. I know.) There's another time skip here, so, if  
you're wondering, it's been just over a year and a half since Ryou has left. Keep that in  
mind for later.

Still in Ryou's POV. It'll remain there unless there's a scene with Yuugi & Co., which yes,  
there is one coming up soon... but not now. ::grin::

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

SIX MONTHS LATER

I flitted among the crowd before walking into a doorway. I stood there and observed the  
people walking past. _No, no, no, definitely not, too rich, too poor, ah-ha!_ I thought,  
finding a target. I joined the crowd once again, and, pretending to be reading a newspaper,  
I ran into a guy in his mid- to late thirties.

"Hey, watch it!" he said in Italian.

"Forgive me, sir," I said, making sure I mispronounced a syllable or two. He sighed,  
figuring me for a tourist, and walked away. _Many liras lighter,_ I noted happily. I  
went back to the doorway, pocketed the money, and dropped the wallet into a bag addressed  
to the local police. I'd drop it off later.

I went inside the building and made my way to the roof. I jumped across a narrow  
alleyway onto another building. I went down the stairs and made my way to my room.  
This way, if I was ever suspected, then the desk clerk can say he never saw me leave. I  
smiled sadly. Bakura had taught me that.

I haven't heard from any of them since I left six months ago. We've never crossed paths  
and I've been to several countries all around the Mediterranean. It isn't easy now that I  
don't have the benefit of Malik's ship and his mind abilites that allowed us to get into any  
country without passports or permission. It's hard and complicated, but I've gotten into a  
routine and it has certainly improved a few of my skills that had been lacking.

I haven't done any major thefts since I left, either. I've stuck with lifting small things and  
pickpocketing, just enough to get by. I'm not on this side journey for the steals. I'm still  
trying to figure things out; a self-exploratory adventure, you could say. I've come to terms  
with most of it, but there are still things on which I'm still shaky.

I've forgiven Bakura, but I'm not sure whether its because he's my friend and my yami, or  
because I really have forgiven his actions. I want it to be the latter, but there are still times  
when I think I just do it because it hurts me to be away from him, Malik, and Marik. Sure,  
they're rough around the edges and hard-living, but they are the only true friends I have in  
this world.

I miss them.

Bakura and I's mindlink is all but completely severed from being so far way from each  
other. The Ring has become heavy, and I know that being separated from it has to be  
hurting him greatly. I just can't bring myself to track them down. Maybe in warped way  
I'm trying to hurt him, make him suffer like I know those men did that night.  
Subconciously and all. I don't like to think that way, and usually try and ignore those  
thoughts. I'm just not ready, I often tell myself.

Maybe I am, I often reply. _Maybe I am ready to face it. Maybe I am ready to face all of  
it. I just don't want to, because I know it won't be easy,_ I usually think. Who was I  
kidding? I just didn't want to face them because I was afraid of losing them. If I stayed  
away, then I'll never have to come to grips with it.

I opened my window and peered out. I watched the people mill around below me. Most of  
the time I like the idea that I'm ahead of them, that I know something that they don't.  
That I can take anything I want from them and they wouldn't even notice. Most of the  
time. Lately I've been growing sick of it. I like it, but it's no fun when there's no one to  
share it with you. What's the point in having knowledge if you can't share it? It's useless.

I sighed. I knew where my conscience was going with this. I had to find them. Whether I  
liked it or not I needed them, and I had a feeling that they needed me. I've had plenty of  
time to think things over, and the only way to get by these demons was to confront them. I  
didn't want to; it was the last thing on earth I wanted to do. I knew I had to, though, and  
that until I did.... I would still be the old Ryou.

I packed my bag an hour later and left.

-----

It wasn't easy. It took me almost a month before I finally managed to track Malik's ship  
down. And think, I knew what to look for-- I can't imagine what those who try and  
capture must. I don't know how Pegs found us, or how he's even still alive. Knowing him,  
I'd rather not know.

I found the ship stationed at a dock in Cape Town, South Africa. I braced myself as I  
walked aboard... and found it devoid of life (or death). They weren't home. I rolled my  
eyes at the irony of it all. Checking around the rooms I noticed that a good bit of their  
stuff was here, so they couldn't have gone far. I decided to wait.

And wait I did, by nervously pacing the entire ship several times. I was too anxious to stay  
in one place and every second that ticked by I was becoming more of a nervous wreck.  
_Where are they?_ I thought. _They should be here! They better be or else I'll... I'll..._ I gave  
up on trying to think of a what else and began my sixth circuit.

I was on my twentieth when I was stopped by a voice.

"I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but you have three seconds to  
explain before I dump you into the sea."

"If this is how you treat your friends, then I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies," I  
said as I turned around, "Bakura."

"R-Ryou?" I was a thrown a bit by his more rough-looking appearance. His expression  
was a mix of confusion, joy, and sadness. "Ryou?"

"It's me, alright. I decided that I had been away long enough," I said. It's not that I had  
been expecting an emotional scene with hugging and crying and all, but what I _did_ get... I  
should've expected.

"WHERE IN THE SEVEN HELLS HAVE YOU BEEN?!" he neary screamed. I  
shrugged.

"Everywhere," I replied. He walked up and grabbed me by the front of my shirt.

"If you ever do that again, I'll make sure you won't just limp away," he growled. I smiled.

"Nice to see you, too, Bakura. Where's Malik and Marik?" He let go and gave me a look.

"Where do you think?"

"Ah, I see, a bar. Well, can't right well let them celebrate my return alone, now can we?  
Lead the way," I said. He gave me a smirk and started to walk away.

: Oh, and Bakura? :

: : What? : : he said. I nearly passed out from joy hearing his voice in my head again.

: I forgive you. : He paused. When he did turn around, the smirk was still in place.

"C'mon, before they drink the bar under the table," he said.

It was good to be back. I still wasn't sure on what terms I forgave him, but in the end I  
guess it didn't matter. I did, and that's what really counted. I know he only did it to save  
us. I sighed, contented.

Yeah, it was good to be back.

A/N: Yes, I know, it's so short and I'm horrible for doing this to you, right? Don't worry,  
I'll be back soon!

What I started mention at the beginning was this chapter was to also show and / or  
reaffirm Ryou and Bakura's friendship, more specifically on Bakura's part. There'll be  
more snatches like that throughout the rest of the story.

Reviews, ¿por favor? ::hopeful grin:: 


	12. Chapter Eleven

A/N: First things first, I think I've confused a few of you on the timeline. Ryou has been  
gone from Yuugi & Co. for a year and a half, but in the last chapter he was only away  
from Bakura and the others for six months of that time. Make sense? Now, this chapter jumps  
ahead a year from then. Grand total: it's been two and a half years since Ryou left Yuugi &  
Co. That help? If not I'll try and clarify better.

Second thing-- the weather around here has been chaotic at best and my internet isn't  
always working. If I'm ever late with a chapter it is for that very reason or else something  
dire has happened to prevent me from doing so. Just be patient and I will update as best I  
can.

I have updated with two chapters because this one is rather short.

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

ONE YEAR LATER  
NO POV

Yuugi stared out of his bedroom window. It was Saturday... and it was raining. His light  
was off, and a grayness blanketed the room. Yami was downstairs with Yuugi's  
grandfather, managing the shop. There wasn't much business today, with the weather  
being as it was, but there was still plenty to do. Yuugi supposed he should go down and  
help, but he just couldn't seem to move. Ryou was on his mind again.

It had been exactly two years, six months, and two weeks since the snowy-haired boy had  
left. Yuugi hadn't been close to him, but he had proved to be a great help and often  
managed to cheer a room when he walked into it. He wasn't much of a talker, but when  
he did speak, they all had listened. Yuugi had gotten the impression that there was a whole  
lot more going behind those brown eyes than was revealed to them. And then, of course,  
there was that dark spirit of the Ring.

Yuugi didn't know quite to make of him. He seemed more than willing to put Ryou in  
danger, yet at times appeared to be more protective of him than any other. Yuugi didn't  
know if this spirit was a yami, like he and Yami, or just a possessive spirit, or even if Ryou  
knew he had a dark spirit lurking about. No, that wasn't true. Ryou knew, Yuugi was  
sure. The only problem with that was, why didn't Ryou ever ask for help?

_Maybe he's too proud_, Yuugi thought. _That doesn't sound like Ryou at all, though. He's  
about as humble as I am_.

It was all too confusing and complicated. It didn't stop him from wondering about the  
boy, though. He had considered him a friend, and his abrupt disappearance covered by a  
lie just furthered his questioning. If Ryou wasn't with his father, then where was he? Had  
he been kidnapped by the spirit of the Ring, or had he gone willingly? Alone? With others?

It did become suspicious when Isis had returned with yet another display of Egyptian  
artifacts and asked if any of them knew the whereabouts of her brother, Malik.  
Apparently, he had vanished the day before Ryou did. It was a strange coincidence, and all  
them had spoken at length about it, but none of them could come up with a definite  
answer. During the Battle City tournament it had become clear to them all that Ryou's  
dark spirit and Malik did not like each other, and Yuugi would go as far as to say that they  
hated each other, so it didn't seem reasonable that they would be together.

_Then again_, Yuugi thought, _what is reasonable any more? It's hard to believe that Ryou  
has been gone for two and half years. He'd be around nineteen or twenty by now. I  
wonder if he's changed at all. Hard to think of Ryou any other way than what he had  
been._

: : Aibou? Where are you? : :

: In my room, : Yuugi replied.

: : Why don't you come downstairs? I'm getting ready to fix some lunch, : : Yami told  
him.

: Maybe later. I don't feel like moving right now. :

: : You're thinking about Ryou again. : : It was a statement, not a question. Yuugi sent a  
mental shrug. : : Aibou, he's gone. We have to face that. If he was coming back, he  
would've by now. : :

: I know, Yami, I know. I just can't help it. There are just too many questions that I can't  
answer, and it bothers me, : Yuugi told his darker half. He heard Yami sigh. He turned  
around to see him leaning against the doorframe.

"The others have gotten on with their lives, and you should, too," he said. "I know how  
you feel. I don't like it either, but we have to face it. Ryou's not coming back."

"It just seems wrong to give up hope. I haven't ever done so before, especially in my  
friends," Yuugi said. "If I don't ever see him again, then fine, Fate can have it that way. I  
just want to know why."

"We all do," Yami replied. A silence followed. "C'mon. At least come down and eat some  
lunch. Your grandfather is worried about you, and we both know how he gets." Yuugi  
shuddered. His loved his grandfather dearly, really he did, but the man could get  
downright annoying when he thought something was wrong.

"Okay," Yuugi said. He gave one last look out the window. _Where are you, Ryou?_  
Sighing, he followed his dark downstairs.

If Yuugi had been psychic, he would've known that his questions were about to be  
answered.

A/N: Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and read the next chapter I've uploaded  
for you, since this one is pretty short, even for me. Go. Now. You know you want to! 


	13. Chapter Twelve

A/N: The timeline for this chapter is the same time as the previous chapter, so it is still  
two and a half years since Ryou left Yuugi & Co. ::grin:: Seriously, if any one is confused  
by this just tell me and I will make a timeline for you. I have no problem with that.

Also, for this chapter, let's just say... ::singing Eminem:: _Guess who's back... back again..._  
::wink::

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

SAME TIME  
NO POV

"BA-KUR-A!"

"You screamed, Marik?" Ryou watched, amused, as Bakura leaned his head back across  
the back of the chair to stare up at the most psycho of the Egyptians.

"WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING IN OVER A MONTH! I'M GOING TO GO  
INSANE!"

"Don't you mean insane-_er_?" Ryou said. He received a passing glare before Marik turned  
his attention back to Bakura.

"WELL?!"

"Well, if our neighbors didn't think we were a little nuts before, they sure do now,"  
Bakura replied dryly.

"Or they think that you two are, you know, _together_," Ryou said, making quotes in the  
air. _Where's Malik when ya need 'im,_ Ryou thought.

"Oh ha, ha, fucking ha," Marik growled sarcastically. Ryou shrugged.

"It sure sounds like that to me. Now would you mind keeping that expression for a little  
longer? I'd like to add it to my collection," he said, holding his sketch book up.

"THAT'S IT! I'M OUTTA HERE!" He stormed out the door and slammed it.

"Yeah, I'd say the neighbors are thinking that they've just heard a lover's quarrel right  
about now," Ryou said, returning to his sketch of Bakura.

"Want to spend the rest of the week in the Shadow Realm?" Bakura threatened, still  
leaning his head back.

"Not particularly," Ryou replied, mimicking Bakura's earlier dryness. "He is right, though.  
We haven't done anything in over a month. I'm getting restless myself, and besides, cash  
is running low. We've been in India too long."

"Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? Pull a heist out of my ass?"

"Well, that certainly would be remarkable," Ryou answered. The look on Bakura's face  
told him he was pushing it. He sighed and laid his sketch down. "Truthfully, I don't know.  
You're the planner, not I."

"The only place that we haven't ravaged is Japan," Bakura muttered.

"Well, then, why not head there? Can't leave it all by its lonesome, now can we?" Bakura  
leaned up and turned around at that remark.

"Are you sure? That's the first I've heard you speak of home."

"Notice I didn't call it my home. My home's here now, not there. And why not? There's  
plenty of things to steal, and besides, there are a few loose ends that need to be tied,"  
Ryou said. Bakura studied him for a moment.

"You still have that knife I gave to you?"

"Of course," Ryou said, patting his right leg, where it was strapped.

"Take it out. You remember what I told you about it?"

"Yes, why?" Ryou said, taking the knife out of its sheath.

"That knife did belong to Khalid, the first King of Thieves. It's been passed down through  
the millenia, until I managed to retrieve it several years ago from its previous owner,  
proving that once again, I was the King of Thieves. Understand?"

"I think so. You're saying that to become the King, you have to steal this from the current  
King, correct?" Bakura nodded. His hikari was certainly quick to catch on. "If that's true,  
then why did you give it to me?"

"Think of it as a preview of coming attractions," his dark replied mysteriously.

Ryou looked at the knife. It hadn't lost a bit of luster since Bakura had given it to him. He  
hadn't ever used it, except for practice a few times, but he always kept it on his person at  
all possible times, and when it wasn't, it was always in view and in arm's reach. It still  
remained Bakura's only gift to him, and he was going to take very good care of it.

_Just what exactly does he mean, 'preview of coming attractions'? Is he saying that he  
wants me to be the next King of Thieves? I mean, sure, I can lift things of his without his  
even noticing, but this is different. This knife is special. He'd protect it with his life,_ Ryou  
thought, ignoring the bad phrasing. He held the knife out to Bakura, who shook his head.

"Not yet. Soon," he said, standing. "I'm going to go tell Marik of our new destination."

"And give him a new excuse to get drunk," Ryou added. Bakura just threw his hands up in  
the air and walked out of the room. Ryou put the knife back in its sheath and leaned back.  
_This is it. I'm finally going to face the last of my past life and move on. I don't know  
what's going to happen, but I'm not backing down this time. Never again. _

He had more or less come to complete terms with Bakura's actions that night in the  
museum. He couldn't justify it or unjustify it, so he eventually just let it go. He had to  
move on, and he did. Deep down, he knew that he still blamed himself for not putting up  
more of a fight, but it wasn't as if he could go back and change it. He had to accept it and  
move on.

He hoped, that when he arrived in Japan, the others could only do the same.

-----

A WEEK LATER

"I'm assuming you're going to want to go on this little adventure of yours yourself?"  
Malik asked. They were standing on the deck of his ship, enjoying the cool sea breeze.  
Japan was only an hour away.

"At first, if you don't mind," Ryou said. "Give me a day or two. Time enough for them to  
get over the shock but before they began asking too many questions. I'd like to have all of  
you there for that."

"Are you sure? I mean, we haven't exactly been on the best of terms with them," Malik  
said, leaning against the railing. Ryou snorted, confirming that.

"I'm well aware of that; but I'm not sure they'd believe me otherwise. It is kind of out  
there," he said. Malik shrugged. "Think about it, Malik. Quiet, unassuming, straightlaced  
Ryou becomes a member of the greatest thief team in the world? And not just a member,  
but an actual co-conspirator?"

"It does seem like a complete turnaround," Malik admitted. He closed his eyes, enjoying  
the sunlight. "I'll never get tired of the sun."

Ryou smiled and let Malik revel in his sunlight. He knew the history behind it-- Malik had  
been forced to live underground for most of his childhood, unable to ever see the sun. He  
had become so enthralled with it that he had a tribal sun tattooed to his left arm with the  
name of Amun-Ra, the sun god, in hieroglyphs inside it.

They all had gotten tattoos. It seemed a bit strange that their yamis-- more or less spirits--  
got them, but they did, all similiar, and all on their upper left arm. Marik had gotten a  
tribal design of a storm, and inside, the name of Set, the god of chaos. Bakura had a tribal  
moon, and inside his, the name Khensu, who was the wandering form of Thoth, the moon  
god. And Ryou, he had a tribal Ankh with the name of Anubis, the jackal god of  
embalming, inside. They had done it while making a quick run of Europe. The tattoos  
weren't little either; the took up most of the upper arm. Easily hid, though. Just wear long  
sleeves.

They had all done a bit of a change in appearance, deciding that it would keep Pegasus  
and all of the others after them off their trail. Ryou had cut his hair even shorter, except  
for his bangs, making it a bit more spiky. He had also picked up Malik and Marik's habit  
of wearing kohl around the eyes. Bakura made jokes about him being even more  
effeminate, but Ryou did notice that he wore it just as much.

The cool sea air felt good, calming his nerves and his mind. He didn't know what was  
going to happen, but he knew he had to do this, and Ra himself couldn't stop him. He had  
left on unsure terms, and he couldn't have it stay that way. This was his chance to redeem  
himself, and his actions. He shouldn't have left like that, but at the time, it seemed to be  
his only way out. He wondered if they still believed his lie or if they had figured out that  
he wasn't with his father. _Probably have,_ he thought. _They're not stupid. It was there  
merely to give me enough time to get away, and it did, so it served its purpose._

Land was in sight by now. Ryou closed his eyes and side.

_It's time,_ he thought.

-----

They had docked in Tokyo Bay at the civilian end, and Malik easily mind-controlled their  
way into the country. Ryou never knew how he had missed that before his solo time. He  
had jumped ship and told the others that he'd get ahold of them in a few days. They all  
shrugged, trying to hide grins. Ryou sighed and hoped that they wouldn't show up too  
plastered.

It took him close to an hour and half to get back to his old prefecture, which was on the  
other side of the city. _It's more crowded then I remember._ He darted and dodged through  
the crowds. He had arrived at the old school before he realized it. The school yard seemed  
a bit empty, but then again, it was just after lunch on a Wednesday. He decided that he'd  
come back later and see if any of the others were still in school. Yuugi, Jou, Anzu, and  
Honda should be, if his calculations were correct.

Until then, he decided to walk by the game shop to see if it was still open. He had never  
really cared for playing Duel Monsters, but the game itself fascinated him. There were so  
many strategies and ideas to grasp that it seemed indominitable. He and the the others  
would play casual games with each other, but nothing on the level of tournaments. They'd  
be in a place long enough to enter, and without any real thing to gain, never bothered to  
participate. If they wanted money, they took it, and the same went for any other prize.

He turned the corner, and sure enough, there was the game shop. It looked like it hadn't  
changed at all. Smiling, Ryou pulled his floppy hat low, turned his duster's collar up, put  
on his shades, and entered the store.

The little bell rang, signaling his arrival to all inside. Since school was in session, it was  
mostly empty. There were a few adults browsing, and one was at the counter. He  
positioned himself over at the Duel Monsters section of the wall, giving a side glance to  
the counter. He took in a sharp breath as he saw Yami behind the counter. As if by Fate's  
design, Yami looked directly at him. Ryou quickly turned his gaze to the cards in front of  
him.

He could feel Yami's eyes on him. He heard movement, but couldn't tell if it was a  
customer or Yami. The footsteps stopped beside him, and Ryou, darted a quick look over.  
_More like Fate's ironic sense of humor, this time,_ he thought as he saw Yami. He took a  
deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He wasn't going to give himself away like this.  
If Bakura, Malik, and Marik had ever taught him anything, they had taught him it was all  
about entrances and exits.

"Konnichiwa," Yami greeted. Ryou inclined his head a bit.

"Konnichiwa," he replied, adding a slight accent, so his voice wouldn't be recognzed.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actually, yes, there is. You see, I've been away from the Duel Monsters scene for a bit,  
and I was wondering if there was any new Occult cards," Ryou asked smoothly, which  
betrayed the butterflies in his stomach.

"A new shipment just came in yesterday," Yami said. "Here, I'm not much of an Occult  
Deck expert, but I believe these are the hot items at the moment." He handed Ryou  
several cards, who looked them over.

"Yes, I believe these will do nicely," Ryou replied. "Arigatou." Ryou noticed that Yami  
had kept his humbleness, waiving it off.

"Come to the counter and I'll ring that up for you," he said. Ryou followed him and Yami  
scanned the items. Ryou gave him the money and took the small bag that he placed them  
in. He started to leave, but Yami stopped him.

"Forgive me for asking, but have we met before?" he asked. Ryou smiled openly.

"Perhaps in a past life," he replied before leaving. Once outside he disappeared around the  
corner of the building, peering back. Yami was in the street, looking around for him. Ryou  
smiled again and disappeared. _I wondered how long it would it take before he realized I  
said it in Egyptian..._

A/N: Now things are gonna get interestin'! ::big Cheshire cat grin:: Will Yami figure it  
out? (We all know he can be a bit dense sometimes!)

What do you think of the "new" look? I tried not to change _too_ much, but I mean, c'mon,  
it _has_ been two and a half years! Please feel free to tell what you like or don't like.

So, how many of you thought I had forgotten about the knife? No way, José!   
Also, if anybody feels up to, say, drawing the guys (or just Ryou), then please do! I love  
story-based artwork and if I had an ounce of talent I'd draw, but every god under the sun  
knows I can't. ::sheepish::

See ya soon! 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

A/N: If you will forgive my bluntness, hot damn I have been having fun with this fic.  
::grin:: My holiday hasn't been the greatest (a family member passed away), but this fic  
and your reviews have certainly been helpful in keeping my spirits up.

And I can't thank The Thief Kuronue enough for doing some sketches of Ryou! You can  
view it at ?actionretrieve&id48421 .

Well, I shouldn't keep you any longer-- I did leave quite a cliffhanger, didn't I?

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

Yami had heard the bell, but was tending to a customer. When the sale had been made, he  
took a look at who had rung the bell. He couldn't see much of the face, as there was a  
collar, a pair of sunglasses, and a large, floppy hat hiding most of it. The guy was wearing  
loose, white cotton slacks, a pale blue tank, a brown duster, and a pair of sandals. He also  
had a worn backpack on as well. Completely mismatched, and on any other day Yami  
would have dismissed him as a street beggar or a homeless guy; but this was no ordinary  
day.

He had had an odd feeling all day. At first he attributed it to being out of school, since he  
had decided to drop out and run the shop instead. He hadn't been doing well anyhow, and  
it helped Sugoroku to have someone on hand to run the shop and do the heavy lifting. It  
was good work, and Yami liked it, but it was a bit boring at times.

That feeling hadn't left him all that morning, leaving him unsettled. The Sennen Puzzle  
seemed to pick up on this, and Yami had the feeling that it was a little unsettled itself. It  
didn't go away as the day progressed, but by lunch time had grown used to it. _Until that  
stranger arrived_, he thought. With no one else waiting to be checked out, he walked over  
to this mystery person.

"Konnichiwa," he said. The stranger seemed to be a bit perturbed himself, but spoke  
evenly, and with an accent that Yami couldn't quite place.

"Konnichiwa."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Yami had asked. He had expected a no, thank you  
anyway, but it seemed that everything would be out of place today.

"Actually, yes, there is. You see, I've been away from the Duel Monsters scene for a bit,  
and I was wondering if there were any new Occult cards," the stranger asked.

"A new shipment just came in," Yami told him. "Here, I'm not much of an Occult Deck  
expert, but I believe these are the hot items at the moment." He picked out a few and  
handed the cards to him.

"Yes, I believe these will do nicely," the stranger said. "Arigatou."

Yami had waived the gratitude off, as humble as ever, and led the guy to the counter. He  
rang up the sale, the entire time trying to figure out if he had ever met him before. He  
seemed so familiar, and the Puzzle had suddenly appeared to become heavier. He hand the  
bag to the stranger, who started to leave, but Yami stopped him.

"Forgive me for asking, but have we met before?" he asked before he could stop himself.  
The stranger smiled.

"Perhaps in a past life," he said, before disappearing out the door.

Two things hit Yami at once. As the stranger had turned, he had seen a wisp of hair...  
white hair... and the stranger had spoken in ancient Egyptian. Yami bolted out the door,  
not caring about what the other customers thought, but by the time he reached the  
sidewalk, the stranger was gone. He looked all around, but there was no sign that he had  
even been there.

-----

Ryou went back to the school, took up residence in a tree, and looked the cards over. He  
hadn't gotten any new ones in over a year, and these appeared that they would provide a  
good refresher. He needed to get a new Change of Heart card, since his old one was  
getting rather worn from so much use between he and Bakura.

After studying the cards, Ryou placed the bag in his duster's inside pocket and decided to  
take a nap.

The last bell woke him, and he immediately began scanning the school yard for his old  
friends. He spotted them, dropped down out of the tree (startling a few kids) and walked  
over. He stayed far enough way that they wouldn't spy him, but close enough that he  
could hear them talking.

"Remember, my apartment, seven tonight, okay?" Yuugi was saying. _A party or a  
sleepover? Hmm, this could be useful,_ Ryou thought. "And don't forget your sleeping  
bags!"

They parted ways and Ryou decided to follow Yuugi back to the game shop. Once there,  
he resided himself in another tree, this one right outside Yuugi's window. He could also  
see both the front and back entrances, which would tell him when everybody had arrived.  
He laid down on his side and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

It wasn't that he wasn't _used_ to waiting, it was just that he had never been the best  
example of patience. If he had something to do, then he was fine. Unable to handle it any  
longer, he took his sketch book out of his bag and began sketching a few scenes around  
him. It worked, and by the time he was finished, everybody had arrived. Ryou allowed  
some time for them to get settled in-- easier to make an entrance that way without alerting  
anyone.

He put his sketchbook away, picked up his bag, and went to the back door. The lock was  
easily pried open and he was inside in under a minute. He sighed and looked around. He  
hadn't been here in over two years. Nostalgia flooded him, but he pushed it away for the  
moment. He went up the back stairs that led to the living room and bedrooms. He crept  
down the hall, listening. It sounded as if everyone was gathered in the living room. He  
paused just before the entryway into the living room.

_It seems that Fate is on my side today after all,_ he thought. Yami was telling everyone  
about the 'stranger' that came into the shop today. Ryou waited for the finale, and could  
barely contain himself. After so long....

"I asked him if we had met before, and he turned around, smiling, and said, 'Perhaps in a  
past life', before vanishing out the door. It didn't realize it until he had already gone, but  
_he had said it in Egyptian!_"

"You sound surprised, Pharaoh," Ryou said, appearing in the doorway. He heard  
collective gasps, but retained his mystery still; he was still partially in the shadows. "It  
doesn't befit you."

"You!" Yami managed to say. Ryou grinned. A shocked Yami wasn't often seen; if only  
he had time to sketch it.

"That'll work," Ryou said. He loved this. Teasing, teasing, teasing.... He had definitely  
been around the others too long.

"Who are you?" Yuugi asked. "R..." he trailed off, unable to say anything. Ryou smiled a  
soft smile, and walked out of the shadows, lifted his hat off and made a grand bow.

"At your service," he replied.

A/N: ::dodges projectiles:: Yes, yes, I know, another evil cliffhanger. What can I say?  
Couldn't resist. ::sheepish grin:: Don't worry, I'll be back in three days' time.

My, oh, my, Ryou is _such_ a tease, isn't he? I hope I'm not the only one that can see him  
doing this, both in my fic and outside. To me, it makes sense, but... ::shrugs::

Preview of Coming Chapters: How will Yuugi & Co. react to Ryou? Or his traveling  
companions? More importantly, how will they react to Ryou's line of work?

'Til next time... 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

A/N: Yes, I know, I left the worst possible cliffhanger... or did I? ::wink::wink:: We'll see,  
in any case.

I won't keep you waiting any longer. ::grin::

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

RYOU'S POV

"At your service," I replied, sweeping my hat off and bowing. I looked up to see shocked  
faces.

I stood, amused. I honestly thought they were going to faint. Even Otogi, who was  
currently picking his jaw up off the floor. Suddenly I felt a pair of arms envelope me.  
Anzu. She was crying. I wasn't used to such close contact, and remained a bit stiff, though  
I did hug her back. She let go abruptly and looked up at me. It seems I've grown since  
I've been here last.

"Ryou! It's really you! It's really-- oh my, what has happened to your hair?!" I laughed.

"Sit back down, Anzu, and I will answer a few of your questions," I said. I sat down  
between Honda and Jou.

"Only a few?" Otogi questioned.

"For now," I told him. "All others will be answered when my companions arrive."

"Companions?" Honda asked uncertainly.

"Yes," I replied. "They will be here tomorrow." An uncomfortable silence fell. I removed  
the shades and shed the duster, revealing a blue tank and a certain marking.

"Woah! Is that real?" Jou asked, grabbing my arm, dragging me over to get a closer look.

"Yes. We all have one," I said before I could bite my tongue.

"We? You mean your companions?" Yuugi asked. I nodded. "What does it say?"

"It says 'Anubis', aibou," Yami replied, getting a closer look. "Why Anubis?"

"Tomorrow, Yami. Until then, is there any immediate questions you would like to know,  
or did I waste an entrance?" They all began talking at once. "Hey, hey, one at time!"

"Where have you been?" Anzu asked. The tears had stopped, but their tracks were still  
apparent.

"Everywhere and then some," I replied. I glanced down at his clothes. "For example,  
forgive my clothes. I was in India up until a week ago."

"India?!" Honda said. "You've been there?"

"And many more places. All over the world. India, China, England, Spain, Egypt,  
Morocco, Mexico, Russia, you name it, I've been there," I told them. "In fact, I speak  
several languages because of it."

"No way!" Jou said. I smiled. He hadn't lost any of his so-called street personality.

"Why did you go to all those places? In fact, why did you leave?" Yuugi asked. Ah, the  
million dollar question.

"The first part will have to wait until tomorrow, but that second half I can answer now." I  
took a deep breath. "I left because I was losing myself in all the confusion and chaos. I  
was being smothered by it, stifled even. I couldn't handle it any longer... I had to get out.  
So, when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. I didn't think I'd be gone for so long."

"You're back now, here to stay... right?" I looked at Yuugi and sighed. His face was so  
sad and forlorn, that I couldn't help myself.

"I'm back now," I said. I made sure that I didn't say for how long; I couldn't handle lying  
to them again.

"Good," Anzu said. "Now what happened to your hair and what's with the eyeliner?!" I  
laughed for the second time at a comment from her.

"It's kohl, not eyeliner. A habit I picked up from a friend. It reduces glare in bright  
sunlight, which I'm all too often out in," I told her. "Now the hair.... Let's just say it's  
easier to manage like this. Doesn't get in the way."

"In the way of what?" _My line of work, Anzu,_ I thought.

"Tomorrow," I replied, and I swear, she pouted.

_How in the world am I going to tell them that I'm a thief now? It'll devastate them. I'd  
hide it from them, but I already promised that they'd meet the others, so how can I back  
out of this now? They definitely won't life for me. Looks like I'm stuck. Oh well, there's  
nothing I can do,_ I thought. _'Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow' indeed._

A/N: Short chapter? You bet.

::puts hands up in defense:: Now, now, don't kill me. I knew I couldn't be too mean to  
you guys (you are my lifeblood after all, thanks to your wonderful reviews), so I once  
again put up two chapters.

So, do love me... or do you love me?! ::Cheshire cat grin::

Well? What are you still reading this for? Go read the next chapter already! 


	16. Chapter Fifteen

A/N: No notes except watch out for the bad language.

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

It was early afternoon and I was growing more anxious by the moment. I was sitting on  
Yuugi's window seat, looking out. It was a bright, sunny day, which contridicted  
everything I was feeling at the moment.

_I don't regret my decision. Perhaps I could have gone about it better, but the fact  
remains that I don't regret making it. How can I, though, expect them to understand?  
They still see me as who I was, not who I am. They think only my appearance has  
changed, when, in reality, that's the least changed of all._ I sighed-- too much heavy  
thinking. I stood and went downstairs to the kitchen.

Jou and Yuugi were having a little mini-duel, which seemed to be more of a teaching game  
for Jou than a real battle. I watched, distracted. Anzu cheered on Yuugi, Honda was  
mocking Jou with Otogi, and Yami seemed to be amused by it all. _I miss this,_ I thought,  
_but I feel so removed from it. This isn't me any more. I hope I can break it to them  
gently..._

Not sooner had I thought that then I heard three things that signaled the arrival of my  
companions: the roaring of two motorcycles, yelling, and a string of cursing that would  
make every sailor in history blush. They had arrived.

"What in Ra's name...?" Yami asked, opening the back door. Everybody went outside,  
with myself last. I couldn't help but smile at the familiar sight.

"I DID NOT GET US LOST YOU DRUNKEN JACKASS!" Bakura was yelling, jumping  
out of the Rubicon. (Literally-- it had no doors any more.)

"YES YOU DID YOU WHITE-HAIRED BITCH!" Marik replied-yelled.

"Hey!" I protested, walking forward, but I was ignored.

"How in the seven blue hells could I have gotten _us_ lost when _I_ was following _you_!"  
Bakura growled. They continued to argue as Malik nearly pounced on me.

"Ryou! Where's your kohl? It's an emergency!" he asked, his face scrunched up with  
worry. I pulled the small tin out of my pants and handed it to him. "Oh, you are a  
lifesaver!" He winked as he went over to his motorcycle's side mirror. "Cherry flavored!"

"Nope, lemon," I answered, returning the wink.

"Did somebody mention citrus?" Marik asked. Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Oh, THAT got your attention," he muttered. I snorted. Marik glared.

"Here's your kohl back," Malik said, handing me the tin. Suddenly, it was dark. I sighed.

"Thanks," I told Bakura, pulling the pants off my head. I picked up the shirt off the  
ground and looked at it. "Tourists?"

"Americans," he said, as if it was the worst thing in the world. I laughed. Bakura hated  
Americans, but I found them amusing.

"Um, Ryou?" I turned around to see everybody giving me looks ranging from confused to  
"you-got-some-'splainin'-to-do".

"Right," I said. "Well, meet my companions! Malik and Marik I believe you know," I said,  
motioning to them. "And this is my yami, Bakura."

"The Sennen Puzzle," he said, his eyes wide and hands reaching. I smacked his hands and  
he glared at me. "What was that for?!"

"No taking," I said. : For now, : I added mentally. I swear, he pouted. He didn't go after it  
any way. I turned to the others. "Now, I'm sure you have several thousand questions, so  
how about we take this inside? I think the living room will be better. I'll go change first  
then meet you there," I said, starting in. "Oh, and Marik? NO KILLING!" I called back.

"BUT RYOU!" he nearly whined. I ignored him and went to the bathroom to change.

-----

We were all more or less settled in Yuugi's living room. Malik was stretched out on  
Yuugi's window seat, sunbathing. Marik and Bakura were practicing, throwing knives at  
each other, catching them, then throwing them again. I was sprawled sideways in a chair,  
noting how the others still had the same expressions on their faces as before. I sighed.  
Here goes nothing.

"So... where do I begin?" I said, thinking aloud.

"How about your being an _itja_?" Malik called from the window seat.

"_ITJA?!_" Yami nearly screamed. Everybody jumped, including Malik, who fell off the  
seat.

"Ow," he said, rubbing his tailbone as he stood up and returned to the window seat.  
"What was that for?"

"Ryou, tell me this isn't true," Yami said. The look on his face nearly killed me.

"Tell me what an ee-jah is!" Jou said.

"An _itja_ is... a thief," Yami said, refusing to make eye contact with me. I looked at Bakura  
for support, but he merely shrugged and continued practicing.

: : Your on your own on this one, : : he said.

: Thanks, : I said dryly, but I knew he was right.

"Ryou... you're a... a thief?" Honda asked, as if he couldn't believe it.

"Yes, Honda, I am thief. That is why I have been all over the world. We are all thieves. In  
fact, not to brag--"

: : Yeah, right. : :

"--but we have been called the greatest thief team in the world today," I finished, ignoring  
Bakura's comment.

"You're proud of that?" Anzu asked. I didn't know what to say, but I knew I couldn't lie.

"Yes, Anzu... I am proud of that."

"But... a thief?"

"Yes, a thief," I restated. I took a deep breath. "I understand why you do not like this, but  
this is me, now. I'm not pretending; I didn't just do this to get away. No, that's not true...  
I did, in the beginning." My companions looked at me sharply. I sighed. "It changed. I'm  
not sure when, and there's been times that I have honestly doubted it, but... it's me. It's  
not the title of being a thief, but the practice of it, the freedom.... I enjoy what I do and I  
like who I am. I didn't come here for your approval."

"Why did you come here?" Otogi had been almost completely silent until now.

"That remains to be seen," I said. I couldn't look at any of them. I knew that I would  
break down if I did. _Maybe... maybe I wasn't ready... for this...._

: Bakura? :

: : Go ahead. I'll keep them in line. : :

: Thank you, : I said, before taking myself into the Ring.

I needed some time to think in my Soul Room. I had known that this was going to be  
hard, but I hadn't thought.... No, that's a lie. I had thought of this; I just had hoped it  
wouldn't be this way. Deep down, I think a part of me knew all along. I just didn't want  
to face it then.

Instead, I was facing it now.

A/N: Ah, gotta love the interaction of those four. ::grin:: Ornrey, aren't they?

Ah, a note about kohl, in case you don't know what it is. No, it's not eyeliner. Think  
football players-- you know those black marks underneath their eyes? Same principle. It  
does, in fact, help to reduce glare. Also, I think it was used to help keep sweat out of the  
eyes, but I'm not sure. That's what Capt. Jack Sparrow had on in Pirates of the  
Caribbean. Apparently Malik has heard it is quite the fashion statement, ne? ::rolls eyes::  
Feel free to make fun of that at my expense. I do it to myself.

Well, ya'll know the drill. Review, ¿por favor? ¿Con crema del azote y cerezas en cima?  
(With whip cream and cherries on top?) 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

A/N: Sorry for being a day late. I actually... forgot. ::blushes:: Sorry. My brain has been  
fried lately from school and the abomination known as classmates. Plus I was  
spray-painting the other day and I think I inhaled some of the fumes... which is why you  
never should do that inside the house while watching TV at two in the morning.

Anyhow...

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

THAT NIGHT  
NO POV

Once Ryou had left, a very uneasy silence blanketed the group. Neither knew what to say  
to the other, and the revelations that had just been made only helped to thicken the  
tension. Otogi had been the first to do anything, and when he asked Bakura if he could  
speak with him alone, no one quite knew what to expect.

They went downstairs to the kitchen.

"This is about Ryou, right?" Bakura guessed. Otogi nodded.

"I have no qualms about him being a thief; that is his own personal choice. And if he's as  
good as he says he is, all the more power to him. 'Do what you love and love what you  
do' and all that," he told the spirit.

"So what is it that you want?"

"Well, Ryou called you his yami, so I'm assuming it's basically the same deal as with  
Yuugi and Yami?"

"Yeah, why?"

"If so, then you probably know him better than anyone, even himself. Why is he doing  
this? I won't lie-- I barely knew Ryou. The impression he gave me, though, wasn't of a  
masochist. He knew how they would react. It was plain as day from the way he was  
acting. That's why he waited until you and the other two showed up before he revealed  
anything. He needed backup. He knew that they would react like that. So why did he do  
this?"

Bakura sighed, which wasn't unusual for him, but it was a bit on the resigned side. He had  
spoken with Ryou about it at length, but the boy had merely said he needed to tie up the  
loose ends. Bakura couldn't be sure, but it seemed that he had come back here to say  
goodbye... for good.

"Pretty damn perceptive," Bakura told Otogi, "for a mortal."

"I try," the DDM inventor replied, taking no offense.

"I think he's here to say goodbye," Bakura replied after a moment. He leaned against the  
wall and shoved his hands into his pockets. If Ryou had been around, he would've  
recognized this as Bakura's "honest" stance. "I didn't think he'd last. I thought after a  
month he'd be begging me to him home. It was the exact opposite. He begged me to him  
further away."

"He's not staying, is he?" Bakura shook his head. "How long?"

"I don't know. Whenever he's ready to leave."

"Who's idea was it in the first place? His becoming a thief, I mean," Otogi asked.

"It started out as a joke. Malik made some crack about Ryou being a thief, and at first I  
thought he hadn't paid any attention, but it seemed to stick. About a week before he left,  
he asked me if he could go along on our next conquest. I didn't think he was serious, but  
he sure as hell proved me wrong," Bakura explained. "It's strange..."

"What is?"

"I have had many apprentice thieves in my life and afterlife, but Ryou seemed to want it  
more than any of them, and he had the least possible motivation for it. The others had  
wanted revenge, or the good life, or to rebel, etc. He didn't. For the most part, he took it  
in stride."

"It makes me wonder..." Otogi started. "Well, first, what made you want to become a  
thief?"

"Me?" Bakura asked confused.

"There's a reason why I'm asking, I assure you," Otogi said.

"Long story short? My entire village was slaughtered-- only I survived-- by the Pharaoh's  
command. I wanted revenge," Bakura said.

"Pharaoh? You mean Yami?" Otogi asked, surprised.

"His dad, actually."

"So, you were like some of your apprentices? Well, that kills that theory," Otogi said,  
thinking aloud.

"What theory?"

"The way you talked, it's as if Ryou was born to be a thief. I just thought that maybe he  
was supposed to be the reincarnation of you, like Yuugi is supposed to be Yami's," he  
explained.

"He is."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, he is. My reincarnation that is, or rather, cosmically he is. I'm still me, and he's  
himself, but...." Bakura stopped, noticing the blank look on Otogi's face. _Maybe he's not  
as perceptive as I thought._ "Ryou's actually my descendant, a couple of thousand times  
removed. I'm guessing the same goes for the Pharaoh and his hikari. So, the fact that he  
was born to be a thief is not as out-there as you may think."

"Okay. Let's review. Ryou is a born thief, only he didn't realize it until a few years ago.  
He left because, as he told us, he felt smothered by this life. How does this all fit  
together?"

"You tell me," Bakura said.

"I don't think their problem is with his being a thief as so much as his changing so  
radically. I didn't know him as well, so that's why I'm more accepting. They still have  
quiet, unassuming Ryou in their minds, and to have him appear out of seemingly nowhere,  
completely different, it's throwing them for a loop," Otogi said.

"You a shrink?"

"No, but my family is bunch of nutcases."

"Ah. Explains that." Bakura thought about what Otogi had said. It made sense, and yet,  
seemed to be entirely off-kilter. "Ryou hasn't changed as much as they think he has."

"He needs to show them that. It probably would make things a whole lot easier for both  
parties," Otogi replied, agreeing with the spirit. "C'mon, I think it's a bit too quiet up  
there. Those two friends of yours aren't really that psycho, are they?"

"If you have to ask..." Bakura trailed off, the full meaning need not to be spoken. They  
went back upstairs. _I hope you figure this out soon, Ryou. I don't know how much longer  
it'll be before war breaks out._

A/N: Is any of that true? Well, if it is, it's by pure accident. If I remember correctly (it has  
been a year since I actually wrote this), I just took a few supposed facts and threw them  
together. This is the result.

Go Otogi! Poor guy doesn't get much attention does he? And before someone becomes  
confused, Otogi is "Duke". A lot of fans hate that name, but I don't. ::grin:: One of the  
few dub names I actually like, oddly enough. ("Zeke"? What the hell? His name is Hao, dammit!)

Anyhow, I'm babbling. Reviews? (Yes, this is a filler chapter. I'll admit it. Sue me.) 


	18. Chapter Seventeen

A/N: Ah... I'm late again... I AM SO SORRY!!! I've been running around like a chicken  
with my head cut off trying to get two projects done that are both due tomorrow.  
::twitch::twitch::

Feel free to reach through your screen and smack me. I deserve it.

And... as a bribe... you guessed it... TWO CHAPTERS!

So... do you still love me?

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

Ryou had heard every word of their conversation. Instead of helping him, it made him  
even more at loss as to what he should do. _Show them? How can I show them that I am  
still me, when I'm not really? I've changed so much. I'm not that person they think of me  
as being-- I never truly was. That was merely a shadow of myself. What I am now is who I  
am, and have always been._

He sighed, frustrated, and rolled over onto his side. He was in his Soul Room, currently  
sprawled on his bed. He had lit some incense, and the scent of musk permeated the room.  
It helped to calm and soothe him, almost as well as lifting things successfully.

_Wait. Maybe... but it's so... Malik-like.... Would it even work? It would certainly make  
them confront the issue, or rather, their issue, and perhaps even set the record straight. It  
might just work...._

-----

RYOU'S POV

I came to the "real" world. Bakura was napping outside in the Rubicon, and I saw no sign  
of the twin terrors. I had appeared where I had left, in the living room. I saw that it was  
nearing dusk, which meant I had been gone for a good part of the day. I stared out of the  
bay window, thinking about what I was about to do.

It wasn't right, it wasn't good, and it wasn't anything that they would like... in other  
words, it was perfect. I hadn't wanted to force them to see me as I really am, but I knew  
that I couldn't stay here much longer. If I did, I'd start to regret things that I never had  
before and never wanted to start.

I listened down the back stairs, and heard Yuugi, Yami, and Sugoroku talking. They were  
eating dinner. Ah, I thought, perfect. I crept down the hallway towards Yuugi's and  
Yami's bedrooms. I spent only a few moments in each before opening a window and  
disappearing into the near-darkness.

I visited all of them, remembering where they lived still. I was secretly glad that none of  
them had moved, or that would have certainly made things ten times as hard. It was  
almost midnight before I was finished. I went back to the game shop and laid down in the  
back of the Rubicon, since Bakura was taking up the entire front. Good thing it was warm  
out, or we'd both be freezing.

I laid there thinking about what I had just done for awhile. I remembered Bakura's  
comment about a war; I had just fired the first shot, and the ball was now in their court.

I didn't know whether to be excited... or fearful...

-----

When Bakura found what I had did and that I had heard his conversation with Otogi, he  
simply gave me a look and told me that wasn't what they had meant. I had just shrugged  
and told him it was too late now and that we'd better be getting over to the park.

Malik and Marik had come stumbling in around four in the morning, drunk as all get out  
and feeling a bit.... Well, as Bakura had put it, feeling a bit frisky and risky. No one had  
any more sleep that night, even after the two had passed out, since we were all wide  
awake.

They were currently sleeping the last of their hangover off in the Rubicon, not too far from  
where Bakura was sprawled on a park bench and I in a nearby tree. I preferred the height  
advantage, since I would be able to see the other coming earlier.

: : You realize this ain't your most inspired idea? : : Bakura said for the hundredth time.

: Quite aware, 'Kura, for the last time, already. :

: : I'm not backing you up on this. You're on your own, : : he said.

"What?" I said aloud, looking down at him. He didn't even blink.

"I'm not backing you up on this. If you're going to force them to face this, then you're on  
your own. If you can't face it yourself, then you sure as hell can't make them face it," he  
replied, before heading over to the Rubicon.

I had never heard him talk like that before. I knew he wouldn't like my idea, but to leave  
me hanging.... No matter, I suppose. I was going to go through with this whether he or  
anyone else liked it or not. I looked off in the distance and saw a flash of tri-colored hair  
approaching.

It had begun.

A/N: Don't stop here, go read the next chapter, then spread the love (aka REVIEW).  
::hopeful grin:: 


	19. Chapter Eighteen

A/N: I'm not going to keep you... I've done that long enough...

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

I stayed in the tree until everyone arrived. It wasn't long, only a few minutes until they all  
were gathered around the tree. I dropped down out of it and perched on the back of the  
bench. By the looks I was getting, saying they weren't happy was an understatement.

"I don't know how they did it, but I don't appreciate it," Yami said. I quirked an eyebrow.  
'They'?

"Yeah, ya need to tell those so-called friends of yours to give our stuff back!" Jou said,  
stabbing a finger at me. I sweatdropped. Here I had tried to show them who I was, and  
they thought that Bakura, Malik, and Marik had done it!

I just stared at them for a moment. They were never going to accept who I was. I needed  
to show them who I was, but they were never going to see it. Never. I could see it in their  
eyes. I sighed. It had all been a mistake.

"Follow me," I said quietly.

I led them to the Rubicon, where Malik and Marik were sprawled over the back seat on  
top of each other. Bakura had the driver's seat reclined, and barely acknowledged our  
presence. I had the feeling he knew this would've happened all along. I pushed Malik and  
Marik off the backseat onto the floor, much to their dismay, and retrieved a bag that I had  
stashed under the seat.

"Here. Your things are in there," I told them, tossing the bag at their feet. I jumped in  
shotgun, and Bakura finally cracked an eye open to look at me. "Let's go."

He put the seat back up and started the Rubicon, while Malik crawled back onto the seat  
and looked bleary-eyed at me, then the others, then back to me. Bakura had to wait for the  
Rubicon to warm up, since it had been beat all to hell over the past few years and would  
stall if moved right away. Malik did the back-and-forth look again.

"So that's what you did last night!" he declared happily, or at least until he realized his  
head was pounding. "Itai..."

"Wha?" Marik asked, confused, and still on the floor.

"Ryou! He went a-huntin' last night! Whadja steal? Whadja steal?" he began chanting. I  
snapped. I had hit my limit and I just couldn't take it any more.

"Just shut the fuck up!" I nearly screamed, whirling around in my seat to face him. "Just  
shut... the fuck... up... got it?!"

"Ryou," Bakura cautioned. I turned on him.

"Oh shove it, Bakura, you're not any fucking better," I growled, and got out of the  
Rubicon. I was sick of this. Whether they liked it or not, they were gonna hear it.

I walked up to Yami, who was the closest to me. I got right up into his face, his eyes  
inches away from my own. He blinked, at first a bit startled, but then he just stared back,  
his gaze unwavering. I laughed. I'm not sure why, but I laughed. Not an evil laugh, like  
Marik's; not a suggestive laugh, like Malik's; not even a low, calculating laugh, like  
Bakura's; no, I just laughed. Free, loose, and almost like a child.

"When you look into my eyes, what do you see?" I asked. His brow furrowed, and he  
blinked again, confused. "When you look into my eyes, what do you see?"

"Someone who's lost their way," he said finally. I backed up and faced all of them.

"You see, that's where you're wrong. In your minds, you have this misconception that  
they corrupted me," I told them, nodding my head at the Rubicon. "You think that they  
somehow messed with my head and turned me evil, am I right?"

"Are ya tryin' to tell us that they didn't do a thing?" Jou asked, giving me a look that said  
he didn't believe me. I laughed again.

"How very perceptive of you!" I told him. "They didn't ask me to be a thief or even offer;  
I came to them, or more specifically, Bakura. And you know what? They laughed at me.  
He laughed at me. They didn't think I could survive, and to tell you the truth, _I_ didn't  
think I'd survive. I took the chance anyway, figuring I had nothing to lose and everything  
to gain. I had to nigh on beg to let them take me with them. And they still laughed at me.

"You know why they laughed?" I asked. I didn't wait for an answer. "They laughed,  
because they saw me the same way you do now. They saw Ryou as the helpless,  
ever-polite, solitary, gentle, loving, caring, and let's face it-- _wussy_ boy next door, am I  
right?" The look on their faces spoke volumes. None of them would look me in the eye.  
"To be honest, I was that once upon a time. Then, after my mother and my sister died, my  
world came crashing down. I changed, and whether or not it was for the better I don't  
know and I can't tell you. I did change, though, only the world I lived in refused to allow  
me to.... I became a living hypocrisy. It was all a lie. It just became worse and worse, and I  
was being smothered to death. I couldn't handle any more. I needed to get out, to escape,  
and they provided it."

"Then why did you come back?" Yuugi asked, looking up at me. I smiled. He always did  
see the line from A to B clearer than most.

"To tell you the truth? I honestly don't know. Several reasons, I suppose," I told him.

I went back over to the Rubicon, and Malik immediately jumped back onto the floor, on  
top of Marik. Marik was passed out again, so he didn't notice. I withdrew my bag from  
under the seat. I opened it and removed the only thing I couldn't give away-- the knife--  
and handed the bag over to Honda.

"Here. Everything you need to understand is in there. Read, look, whatever you want."

"Ryou..." Anzu started, but stopped. I smiled at her.

"Don't worry. I'm not going too far," I told her. I went over to the Rubicon and laid the  
knife on the seat, not looking at Bakura. Then I left.

I had to do some thinking.

A/N: ::whistles:: Damn, I didn't Ryou had it in him! Go Ryou, it's your birthday, we're  
gonna party like it's your birthday...

Err... anyhow...

Once again, I am _very_ sorry I was late updating. Things get crazy, you know? I hope  
you're not too mad at me that you won't review... ::big hopeful grin:: And yes, I count  
flames as reviews, so go right ahead!

::crosses fingers:: 


	20. Chapter Nineteen

A/N: Here you go! Hmm, what will the others think of Ryou's belongings? What is going  
through Ryou's mind? 

Well... read and find out already! ::grin::

Enjoy.

_PS: Thanks a million for being patient with me! You guys rock! m/_

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

NO POV

"Listen to this," Yami said.

_"Today was long and hot. The temperature soared and even stripped to the bare  
essentials we've been sweating buckets. M. and Y.M. have found a "creative" way of  
beating the heat, and have been in their room since before noon. B. has been stalking  
around, and I think he's bored. He's done his part already, and we have to wait until this  
heat wave breaks to do anything else. He'll find his way down to the hotel bar before  
long, and I'll join him when I'm done here._

_Well, there he goes. I hope the bartenders are ready for this._

_I've been practicing the exercises he's taught me. I managed to get M. today, before he  
sauntered off to his and Y.M.'s room. He wasn't happy, and vowed that he'd make me  
pay, using his own.... How should I put this? His own unique way of punishment. I'm not  
worried, I can handle them more than effectively now, and after today's run with Y.M., he  
should be more than satiated._

_I have tried to pry some more information about the J.K. out of B., but he's as silent and  
stoic as ever. I'm curious, and he knows it. He also knows that my curiosity is near  
unquenchable, especially when I know he knows and he's not telling me. I'll get it out of  
him yet, one way or another._

_Well, the heat's killing me. It's evening, and it's still in the nineties, or whatever these  
people measure their temperature by. I like Brazil, truly I do, but this heat is something  
else. I'm off to join B. now. I hope he hasn't killed the bartender yet."_

"He traded everything he had for that kind of life?" Anzu asked, shaking her head. She  
was flipping through one of the sketchbooks. "I do have to admit, though, these sketches  
are beautiful."

"Lemme see," Jou asked, and Anzu handed him the book. "These are good."

The first few pages held various scenes from places he'd been, assumingly. They were  
very detailed, even to the point that the people in them had distinguishable faces. The next  
several pages were sketches of Malik, Marik, and Bakura. There was one of Malik  
sleeping in a chair, throwing a knife, and one where it seemed he had posed; there was  
some of Marik of terrorizing various people, as well as themselves; and several of Bakura  
either working, napping, and dragging an seemingly drunk Malik. The one that got Jou,  
though, was one of Bakura making a face, then after, one of him smiling. Not a cruel or an  
evil one, but a genuine smile.

It began to click for Jou.

_I think I get it now,_ he thought. _We see one thing, but Ryou sees another. We see Ryou's  
dark half as an evil spirit hellbent on collecting the Items and generally destroying everything.  
And Malik and Marik are just two psychos who enjoy causing havoc. But these sketches show  
different sides of them. They're almost... human..._

"Ya know... I think that maybe we did... well, maybe did... kinda... misjudge him," Jou  
said.

"As much as I hate to admit, I agree," Yuugi said. Yami just closed the journal and looked  
out the window.

"I just can't figure out why he'd go through all of this. Why chose a life of crime and  
uncertainty over the good life? Hell, if I lived in a mansion like he did, I sure wouldn't give  
that up," Honda said.

"Humans, by nature, love misery," Otogi told him. "You've been focusing too much on  
the material aspects; why don't you actually think about Ryou?"

"We are," Honda replied.

"No, you're not. Not really," Otogi shot back. "Listen. Put yourself in his position. Your  
mother and sister are dead, your father is never home, and your only companion is a  
psychotic thief who won't let you get too close to anyone. It's a life of hell. Sure, he was  
provided with all the necessities and extravagance that he could ever want, but there  
wasn't any life behind it."

"It sounds like goin' from the fryin' pan and into fire to me," Jou pointed out. Otogi  
shrugged.

"Maybe. I can't tell you exactly why he did it, but I can understand his underlying motives.  
This life held nothing for him any more. You heard him-- he was being smothered. He had  
to get out. He took the only route presented to him," he explained. "He followed his heart  
and his destiny."

"His destiny?" Yami inquired, looking over at the raven-haired boy.

"That's something you have to ask them about," came the reply.

"I guess I can understand," Anzu said, taking the sketchbook back from Jou and flipping  
through it again. "I mean, I think I know where he's coming from. It's like me and my  
dancing; I love different forms and styles, and I'll usually stick with one or two. After  
awhile, though, I get bored and it doesn't hold the same... feeling... rush... any more. I  
move on to something else, something different. It's kinda like that, isn't it?"

"Kinda," Otogi told her.

"So what do we do now? I mean, Ryou's a thief! A kind one, but one nonetheless. How  
can we justify that?" Yami asked.

"Well, I don't like it, either, but he is our friend. And he did come back to us in the end  
right? So let's not judge him for past mistakes," Yuugi said.

Otogi mentally sighed, and took his leave. They still thought that Ryou was here to stay. It  
was tempting to break the news to them, but it wasn't his place to do so. He just hoped  
that Ryou would tell them eventually himself, and not just suddenly disappear... again....

-----

RYOU'S POV

I wandered around for some time before paying the 1500 yen to go to the observatory at  
the top of the Tokyo Tower. Before I had left, this had been one of my favorite places to  
go. Sure, it was crowded and noisy, but the tourists were amusing and I could just zone  
out for a while.

I guess I couldn't be too upset with their refusal of acceptance. I mean, I had known all  
along they wouldn't accept me. I suppose, in a warped way, I didn't come here for  
acceptance. I came here, instead, for forgiveness. I had left, leaving them hanging and lost.  
I knew how that hurt; it had happened when my mother and my sister left this world. I had  
been so confused and uncertain. Always having their company before, I was suddenly left  
alone. Father had given me the Ring as his way of comforting me, and though I met  
Bakura almost immediately, we didn't become close. Rarely spoke, and when we did, it  
was just a few words, if anything at all.

It hadn't been until a few years later-- just before Duelist Kingdom-- that we began to talk  
more. Things went from there, to the point that I suppose you could've called us friends.  
It was like a combination of friends, brothers, and a father-and-son kind of deal. Strange,  
but it worked and still does.

I'm not sure what I was thinking leave my bag with them. I'm not even sure I was  
thinking. I mean, I had promised myself that no one would ever see my journals or my  
sketchbooks, and here I proffered them like it was nothing. Perhaps my subconscious was  
directing my movements. Or perhaps I had finally lost what remained of my sanity.

I sighed, leaning on the railing, and looked out over Tokyo. The noise began the blur  
together, making a low rumble for a background. I watched, amused, as a wind came by,  
blowing the sakura blossoms everywhere. I had missed that during our escapades over the  
world-- the simple pleasure of watching those pink blossoms float across the blue sky. It  
was comforting to me. I smiled, despite myself, and closed my eyes, letting the low roar of  
the crowd and the soft breeze carry me away.

A/N: I hope Yuugi & Co.'s reactions are believable. Poor Otogi... he's like the  
Understanding Motives for Dummies manual.

Guess what, though? It gets good next chapter! (Okay, it's already good, so... it gets  
better! Err... ::rolls eyes:: I'm such a dork...)


	21. Chapter Twenty

A/N: Let's just say this is the beginning of the end.

Have fun... ::wink::

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

I stayed there for the rest of the day. It soothed me, and let me think over things. That was  
definitely one thing Bakura and I had in common; we both prefered to think things over,  
probably more so than we should. Eventually, though, I knew it was time to go back. I  
decided to go back to the ship. I could always get my bag back tomorrow.

To my surprise, the ship was completely deserted. It looked as if no one had been around  
since we left, which was highly unusual. I put myself on high alert; this wasn't like them  
and I had a bad feeling that something was severely wrong. I did a quick perimeter check,  
but didn't find anything. I went up to the helm, and there, held to the wall by one of  
Marik's knives, was a note. Wary, I went over and read it. As soon as its message hit me,  
I ripped the knife out of the wall and shoved the note into my pocket. After grabbing a  
few things, I took off for Yuugi's.

-----

I didn't bother knocking. I burst into the kitchen and ran up the stairs. I didn't bother  
being surprised that everyone was still there, in the living room, looking through my stuff.  
I had come here to get some things before setting out on what may prove to be the hardest  
night of my life.

"Ryou? What is it?" Yuugi asked. Not wanting to waste any more time than I had to, I  
took out the note and threw it to him. I searched around, finding my hat and duster. I had  
left them behind this morning in all the excitement. "What does this mean?"

"It means," I said, looking for my toolkit, "that that they're in trouble and it's up to me to  
save them." I found it under a pile of my sketches and put it in my duster.

"Wait, what do you mean they're in trouble? What kind of trouble?" Anzu asked. I didn't  
have time for this, but I didn't want to be short with her, either. I sighed and explained.  
"Remember Pegasus? Yeah, well, he's not dead. He found us once in Morocco and almost  
captured us. He's found us again and he's baiting me with them. Why, I don't know, but I  
can't leave them behind. I did that once, I'm not doing it again."

"Can't you contact Bakura? You know, like Yuugi an' Yami do?" Jou asked.

"I tried on the way over, but the link's been severed. It's either being blocked or..." I  
trailed off, not wanting to go there. "All I know is that I have to go to that address and  
finish what was started over a year ago." I took back the note, put on my hat, and started  
to leave.

"Ryou! Wait!" Yuugi said. I stopped and looked at him. He glanced at everyone, then to  
me. "Need any help?" I smiled.

"Come on," I said, "let's go save the day."

-----

The address was that of an old factory that someone had started to convert to an office  
building, but never finished. Scaffolding was everywhere, as was guards. We were halfway  
down the block and around the corner. The entire area was deserted, giving me a sense of  
foreboding. I tried once again to contact Bakura, but there was nothing. I gave the place  
the once-over, then turned to everyone.

"Okay, here's what you're going to do. Anzu, I hate to ask you to do this, but do you  
think you could, ah, distract them? Yuugi, you help her, okay? Pretend to have a spat or  
something, I don't care what. Just get them away from the front of the building. After  
we're in, you two get the hell out of there. Run and don't look back. Go back to the shop  
and _stay there_, don't come back here, got it? These guys don't screw around."

"Got it," they said.

"Good. Now, after we're in, I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I'm not letting you  
guys go in unarmed. Jou, I know you've had gang experience, it's time to put what you  
know to good use. Here," I said, pulling out two knives and handing one each to Jou and  
Honda. "These will come in handy. Yami, you're going to be my main back up. I know  
you still got a score to settle with Pegasus, so don't hesitate to go after him with any of  
your shadow abilities, okay? Just save a piece for me," I told him. He nodded. I felt a  
wave of compassion for them. They were risking their lives for three people that they  
didn't even like, and all because he was asking them to. "Ready? Here we go."

Anzu and Yuugi walked out, and I led the others as we moved quickly through the  
shadows behind them. They were faking some sort of lover's spat. Anzu huffed at  
something Yuugi had said and went up to a guard and started asking him about what he  
thought or something like that. The way she was acting, I think she was pretending to be  
drunk. If the situation hadn't been so serious, I had a feeling I'd be falling down laughing  
over it, because the look on Yuugi's face was utterly priceless.

Whatever she was doing was working. The guard had called over to his buddy to help him  
out, leaving the part of the front wide open. I hurried along, pulling out my toolkit as I  
went. There was a window, but I was worried that they might have it set on a trigger.  
Thinking back to what happened in Morocco, he seemed to know our methods and our  
ways of thinking. If that was the case, then he knew I'd think the window was wired. I  
didn't have time to second guess myself, so I decided to go for it. I sprung the lock as fast  
as I could and pulled the window open a little bit. When nothing happened, I let go a  
mental sigh of relief and quickly ushered the others in. I went in last, pullin the window  
back into place.

I paused, trying to get my bearings. It was almost pitch black in here, and I didn't have the  
benefit of Bakura's eyes to help me see around. Or did I? I could make out Yami glancing  
around. "Where are we?" I whispered.

"It looks like a storage room," he whispered back. "There's boxes all over."

"Good. Lead us to the door," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. With Honda's on  
mine and Jou's on Honda's, we made it to the door without incident.

I put my ear to the door, listening. I didn't hear anything. I opened the door as slowly as I  
could. Peeking out, I saw a dimly lit hallway. I listened again. Nothing. I opened the door  
and looked around. We were at the end of a long hallway, and another door wasn't in  
view until the end of it. It was a long way to go without any cover, but it didn't look as if  
we had a choice. Motioning for them to follow, I went out into the hallway.

I came to the end without incident and arrived in another empty hallway. I was becoming  
suspicious by now, which I'm sure he knew I would be. If I didn't know he was aware of  
my moves, what would I do? Choose the most likely direction and work my way down it.  
But by now, he had to know I was on to him? _What to do?_ I asked myself. I_ wish Bakura  
was here,_ I thought. _Well, he's not, so I can't do that. C'mon, Ryou, think! What was it  
that he told you once? 'Sometimes you have to set off the trap to get where you want.'  
That's it!_ I turned to the others.

"Alright, I need you to trust me. We're going to be playing into his hands. Think of this as  
duel, and we're faking him out, forcing his hand. Okay?" They nodded.

"We're with you," Honda said.

I took a deep breath and checked the second hallway again. By now he most assuredly  
knew I was on to him; I had to play back into his trap again. I decided that the left would  
be most likely, and began working my way down it. It led to a stairwell, and I had to  
choose, up or down. This was Pegasus, and I knew he had thing for castles and other tall  
structures. The only reason you had tall buildings was to be up high in them. I started up  
the stairs.

I bypassed the second and third floors and went straight for the fourth, and highest, floor.  
There I did the same as I had earlier with this door before heading out into a wide hallway.  
There were several empty doorways here, most of them leading to half-finished offices.  
There were large gaping holes were windows were supposed to be, and I was on extra  
high alert for anyone-- or anything, for that matter-- to come jumping out. I wasn't  
surprised when nothing did. The floor was too quiet. Something wasn't right. Every thief  
instinct I had was raising alarms, telling me not to take a step further. I stood stock-still in  
the hallway, trying to figure out what was setting them off.

"What's wrong?" Jou asked.

"Something's not right. There should be more resistance," I replied.

"I thought he wanted us to fall into the trap? I mean, isn't that what we're doing?" Honda  
said. It hit me.

"Shit," I cursed.

"What?" Yami asked.

I didn't answer him. I was too pissed at myself. Not only had I fallen hook, line, and sinker  
for the whole thing, I had dragged them into it as well. Pegasus had had me figured the  
whole time. He knew that I'd be too caught up in what happened to pay any attention. I  
pulled out the note and read over it.

_Come get your friends  
To the address you'll go  
The way is clear  
Park your fears  
At the curb  
730 Shiken Lane_

"Dammit!" I nearly screamed.

"What? What's going on?" Jou asked.

"It wasn't a trap, it was a ploy! This is ol' Pegs, remember? If I ever met anyone who  
loved a good riddle, it was him."

"I don't get it. If we're not supposed to be here, then where?" Yami asked.

"Look at the first word of each line. It reads, 'Come to the park at 7:30.'" I felt like  
beating my head off the wall. "Dammit!"

"It's seven-fifteen now," Honda said, glancing at his watch. "If we hurry, we can make it."

"No," I said. "You guys are going home."

"No, we're not. We said we'd help you, and that hasn't changed. Besides, like you said, I  
still have a score to settle with him," Yami said.

"I know, but I was wrong before. This is something I have to do on my own," I said, and  
something in my eyes must have told them to back down. "Thanks, anyway. If everything  
goes as I hope it does, I should be back at the game shop before midnight."

And with that, I left.

A/N: DUN DUN DUN! What's gonna happen now? Stick around and find out.

See you in three days. 


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

A/N: Well, look-y here, folks, I'm actually on time for once!

Yeah, I know, shut up and get on with it already. ::grin:: Guess what, readers? This is,  
except for the epilogue, the _last_ chapter. That's it. El fin. L'extrémité. Das Ende.  
L'estremità. Owari. Done, done, done.

Excited yet?

Good. This is an action-packed chapter and I hope ya'll like it.

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the park. I didn't even want to think what might  
happen if we were late. At the park, I glanced around, unsure where to go. The place was  
covered several city blocks in every direction. I had two minutes to decide and get there.  
Finally deciding that it would be the most secluded place, I took off, hoping that this time  
I was right.

I headed for the exact center of the park, where a line of trees would block anyone from  
seeing it from the street. Sure enough, as I broke through the treeline, there sat pompous  
asshole himself, all calm on a park bench, a glass of wine in one hand. He smiled.

"Ah, I see you figured it out, and just in time, too," he said. I glared, but said nothing.  
"Why so silent? Aren't you concerned about your friends?" I stayed quiet. He was right, I  
was concerned, but I knew better than to open my mouth. I had to keep calm. "Very well,  
remain mute. It matters not to me. I'll get what I want either way." I quirked an eyebrow  
ever so slightly. "You see, I am after my Sennen Eye and the other Items, but not just that  
my dear snow-haired boy! I am after something else..." he trailed off, a smirk on his face.  
He was trying to incite me, I knew, but I remained stoic. "Revenge, dear boy. You and  
your dark half helped in causing me to lose my chance to bring Cecilia back, and for that I  
can never forgive you. I will destroy you as you tried to destroy me. Your two  
companions as well, just because they got in the way."

"Try it," I said. His visible eye glowered at me, but I said nothing.

"So confident this time around! If I remember correctly, you cowered in fear last time until  
your dark half took control. Pathetic," he growled. "Let's see you prove your worth, shall  
we?"

He started laughing, then faded away right in front of me. It was a hologram! I narrowed  
my eyes and looked around, but couldn't see anything. I closed my eyes and tried to focus  
my senses like I had been taught. I heard movement to my right. I opened my eyes and  
blocked the kick that had come flying at me. It wasn't Pegasus, but Croquet. He grinned  
and began attacking me with everything he had. It was even until a thought of what might  
be happening to Bakura, Malik, and Marik while I wasted time with him. That gave me a  
renewed burst of energy and I managed to get a solid hit in the mid-section, followed by a  
quick, but powerful sock to the jaw. He was down and wasn't going to be fighting back  
any time soon.

I grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him up slightly off the ground. "Where are they?!" I  
demanded.

"The warehouse by the pier... number seven..." he said, then went limp. He was out cold. I  
dropped him and took off for the pier.

-----

When I arrived, I wanted nothing more than to charge in and beat the shit out of anyone  
who crossed my path, but I knew I had to keep my wits about me. I approached with  
caution. I slipped in through a side door and held my breath while I waited for my eyes to  
adjust to the dim light. The moon had risen by now and allowed me to see enough without  
running into anything. Looking up, I saw my comrades hanging from the ceiling, their  
hand bound and hung over a large hook. My mouth grew dry, but as I crept nearer, I  
could see Malik's chest rising and falling. If he was alive, then Marik was. I still was, so  
Bakura had to be. They were, thankfully, just unconcious. It didn't pass me by that Bakura  
had the knife underneath his shirt; I tucked that bit of knowledge away for later, just in  
case. From where I was crouched, I could a sliver of the sheath from where his shirt had  
pulled up.

I glanced around, but saw nothing. Did I risk trying to free them, or lay in wait? This night  
had been full of so many choices. I wasn't used to having to rely on myself to make so  
many decisions at once. I knew I had to get Pegasus and whatever goons he had out in the  
open, but I didn't dare reveal where I was. I needed a decoy, and I was seriously  
regretting telling the others to leave. It was too late now. I had to go with I had, which  
was... machinery.

I slipped along the shadows towards a fork lift. Glancing in the cockpit, I saw no keys.  
Seemed like Lady Luck was coming anywhere near me tonight. Removing a small knife  
from my toolkit, I quickly hotwired it and jammed into a gear, dashing back into the  
shadows as it roared to life and took off like a bat out of hell into the open. Several lights  
flared to life, and I saw some familiar-looking men in suits run out, guns drawn. I ducked  
back behind some crates, and looked around. Pegasus was standing on an upper catwalk  
at the far end of the room, looking flustered.

"Find him!" he shouted, and the suits split up.

Not wanting to be caught, I dodged and dashed my way through the crates, working my  
way back towards my comrades and Pegasus. I climbed up a pole as fast as I could, but  
not fast enough. I narrowly avoided be shot, rolling out of the way onto the catwalk just in  
time. I stood up and began to run towards Pegasus, but a suit cut me off with a round of  
gunfire and I was forced to take cover in a room. There, on a table, laid the Sennen Rod.  
As another round of gunfire sounded, a plan formed in my mind.

I grabbed the Rod and ran out the room, jumping off the catwalk and snagging a chain  
hook similar to the one that my companions were hanging from. I swung like Tarzan over  
to it, releasing the hidden blade inside the Rod as I went. I slid down to them and began  
sawing at the ropes, trying to keep the chain swinging so as to not give any of the suits a  
clear shot at us.

"Malik, Marik, wake up! Bakura, if you don't wake up right now I'll let them shoot you!"  
I screamed.

"R-Ryou? What's going on?" It was Malik.

"Long story," I said. Marik came to then and began cursing in ancient Egyptian. Bakura  
still didn't wake up. "You're guys are gonna fall, try and catch Bakura and wake him up!"  
I said. The ropes finally gave and they fell. Marik more or less caught Bakura, who was  
half-awake by then. I tossed the Rod to Malik. "Get them under control!"

I didn't stick around long enough to find out if he did or not. When the chain swung near  
the catwalk, I lept and managed to roll as I landed. Pegasus was running, heading for the  
roof. I followed, but when I reached the roof, he was no where to be found. I heard  
footsteps behind me on the stairs, and jumped out of the way in time. It was two  
trigger-happy suits. I ducked behind one of the large air ducts and tried to get my  
breathing under control.

I heard several bursts of gunfire, then silence. I felt rather than heard someone coming,  
and as they came around, I swung a fist at them. I stopped less than three inches from  
Bakura's face. He grinned.

"What the fuck took you so damn long?" he asked. I was still too on edge to answer.

"Pegasus is up here," I said. "Did he get the Eye?" Bakura shook his head.

"I wouldn't give it up, so he set this up to try and get you to. He forced us unconscious  
with the Rod," he explained, his tone laced with barely contained disgust.

I wasn't paying attention, though. Out of the corner of my eye I saw another suit aiming a  
gun at us. Without thinking, I pulled my knife out of its sheath underneath Bakura's shirt  
and threw it as hard as I could in one swift motion. It landed dead-on in his heart. He was  
dead before he hit the ground.

I didn't have time to register what I had done, as Pegasus appeared out of nowhere and  
shot me in the arm. I let a yelp loose and clutched my left arm. I took cover behind  
another air duct. I didn't know where Bakura had went. Damn, the pain was killing me! It  
hadn't gone in or anything, just sliced through the outer edge below my tattoo, but it  
burned. Dammit, now what? I was thankful that the jackass was a bad shot, but I was  
weaponless and wounded. I had to think of another plan, and quick.

I needed my knife back, but it was still lodged in the suit's chest, several yards away. :  
Bakura? : I said, testing the mind link.

: : How bad did he get you? : : came the reply. I couldn't fully express the relief I felt at  
hearing that voice in my mind again.

: It's a flesh wound, but hurts like a fucker. Where are you and where the hell is he? :

: : The same as you, behind an air duct two down from where you are. The bastard is  
heading towards you, so get the hell out there, : : he said.

: Distract him, I'll make a break for my knife, : I said, not waiting for a response as I took  
off.

I heard a bang, and it sound like Bakura had kicked the air duct. I reached for my knife  
and tried to ignore the sucking sound it made as I pulled it out of the guy's chest. I turned  
and threw it, but the pain in my arm caused my aim to be off. It hit him in the shoulder, but  
he didn't drop the gun. He turned and fired at me, but missed. Bakura came up and  
yanked my knife out of his back and kicked him to the ground. I walked up, clutching my  
arm, and kicked the gun out of Pegasus's hand.

"It's over," I said, rolling him over with my foot, which I promptly placed on his chest. I  
knelt down and glared at him. "You fucked with the wrong people, Pegasus. You hurt my  
friends and comrades, the only true family I have left in this world. I'm going to make this  
_very_ clear. You even so much as think about doing anything like this again and I'll have  
you begging to be killed, do you understand me?"

He said nothing, only groaned in pain. I stood up and began walking away, Bakura at my  
side. I saw Malik and Marik arrive, covered in blood. I hoped none of it was theirs.

What happened next is a blur. I heard a bang, and felt a pain in my back. I heard someone  
calling my name, but I wasn't aware of who. I reacted on instinct, yanking my knife out of  
Bakura's hand and threw it one more time. This time, I didn't miss. The last thing I saw  
before passing out was my knife sticking out where Pegasus's left eye had once been.

A/N: Bad place to end, ne? Maybe, but it's a good place to start for an epilogue. And  
don't worry, it won't be one of those short, three paragraph wrap-ups. Honest. Cross my  
heart. I swear by my former Girl Scout-ness. ::holds up three fingers and says the Girl  
Scout promise:: Happy?

Yep, three days' time. Just think, it'll be ready for the holidays!

'Til then... 


	23. Epilogue

A/N: The epilogue.

Whew, it's been fun, hasn't it? I don't think I have ever received such overwhelmingly  
awesome reviews time and time again. Thanks, you guys! Stories aren't anything without  
reviews, despite what some of us authors may say. (We thrive on them to tell the truth!)

Well, I won't keep you any longer. Have fun, and, as always...

Enjoy.

GUIDE

: Ryou to Bakura :  
: : Bakura to Ryou : :  
_Blah_ is thoughts

-----

ONE WEEK LATER

I had woken up to killer headache the next afternoon. Not wanting to chance taking me to  
the hospital, they had taken me back to Yuugi's place where they dug the bullet out of my  
back and patched me up. They didn't need to tell me how lucky I was to be alive. The  
bullet had missed all vital organs and narrowly missed hitting my spine. Once again, I was  
thankful that he had been a bad shot. My arm had needed stitching, but it was just a flesh  
wound as I had thought.

No sooner had I awoke then I received a stern lecture from Anzu, who then burst into  
tears because she thought I was going to die. As I said, I had a pounding headache, and  
this wasn't helping me any. To help calm her down, I politely asked if she could get me  
some Tylenol and glass of water. She nodded and left.

I'll tell you now-- getting shot is not fun in any sense of the word. I've been kicked around  
before and had a broken bone or two when I was younger, but believe, it doesn't compare.  
I think I took more Tylenol that week than I had ever before in my life.

Laying around all day wasn't that bad. I could deal with that. What was the most  
embarassing was that I wasn't allowed to walk anywhere. It hurt like hell, so I hadn't tried  
to push the issue, but every time I had to go to the bathroom I had to get Bakura or Yami  
or whoever was around to carry me to the bathroom. _That_ was embarassing, especially  
after Malik had offered to 'help' me. I quietly, but sternly told him no. He had pouted, but  
listened.

As always, I had used the time to think things over. Two big things had loomed over most  
of my thoughts. One, how was I going to come to terms with killing Pegasus, and two,  
what were the others going to think? They hadn't been told; of that I had been sure.  
Should I tell them? I was in the middle of that debate when Bakura had walked in and sat  
on the coffee table in front of me.

"You're going fry your brain," he said.

"Pff, you're one to talk," I told him. He snorted.

"Won't get any argument from me there." He took a deep breath and there was pause in  
conversation. It wasn't uncomfortable, though. "We have to leave soon, you know that. If  
you hadn't been shot we would've left that night, but there was no way in hell Anzu or  
Yuugi were going to let you go like that," he said, gesturning to my bandages.

: You three wouldn't either, : I said. He didn't agree, but neither did he argue. Another  
pause passed, then he pulled something out from behind him. He threw it on my lap. It  
was the sheath and knife. I looked at him curiously.

"It's yours," he said. "If memory serves me-- and believe me, it does-- then you gave it up  
to me."

"So why are you giving it to me?"

"You didn't let me finish, baka," he said. "Last night, not only did you steal it from me  
once, but twice. In which case, it's yours."

"You're not... you don't... are you serious?"

"No, I'm lying," he said, sarcastic.

I wasn't listening, however. Bakura had just told me in so few words that I was now the  
King of Thieves. Not just an _itja_, but the king himself. There was just no way... it wasn't  
possible... how could I be...? After what I had happened, how could I be even considered?  
I never stole the knife from him, not really. Sure, if you wanted to play the semantics  
game, but for the weight that it carried it couldn't be. It couldn't count.

"Bakura, I... I can't..." I said. I hung my head. "I'm not the _neb itja_. I can't be."

"Why not?" It was a simple question, but it had no simple answer.

"Because," I said, "I'm not worthy. I can't be Khalid. Look at me! I've gone on my own,  
I've put you and the others in danger, I've royally screwed up more than once, and... I've  
killed twice now. I'm a failure, Bakura. The King of Thieves can't be that."

"For a philosophical guy, you're pretty damn blind. All those things you listed are reasons  
_why_ you should be the _neb itja_, the King of Thieves," he said.

"I can't see how," I said, shrugging.

"Okay, let's go over this. One, you've run off on your own. Big deal, everyone had done  
that at one time or another, even me. What it proves to me is that you can handle being  
your own. You can rely on yourself to get by without needing the help of anyone else, and  
that _is_ a big deal.

"Two," he said, holding up two fingers. "You've put me and the others in danger. Wrong.  
Look, the only thing that got us captured was the fact that Malik and Marik had  
hangovers and I was too distracted with my own anger to pay attention to what was  
happening until it was too late. And even if you can give yourself some blame out of that,  
what mattered was you came after us. To be a clichéd idiot like the Pharaoh, you saved  
the day.

"Three." Another finger went up. "You've screwed up. Take a look at who we travel  
with. Hell, take a look at me. We've all screwed up some time or another. I wasn't always  
the great thief you know me as, you know. I've made mistakes, though I swear to Ra if it  
leaves this room that I said that, then a bullet wound will be the least of your worries," he  
said.

"Got it," I said.

"Good. Now, the last one. You've killed two people. I can't tell you how to justify that  
other than what I've already told you. That's something you have to work out for  
yourself. You're not a bad person, Ryou, thief or not. You don't go looking to cause  
trouble, especially the death of someone. I won't lie, I'll kill anyone that crosses me. You,  
though, you give them every chance to live. You were more than willing to let Pegasus  
live. He didn't agree, and you did what you had to do. There's no wrong in that.

"Long story short, Ryou. What you see as your flaws are what make you perfect for the  
King of Thieves. You're not bloodthirsty, or egotistical, or go after every treasure that  
catches your fancy. You're smart, you're humble, and you know when to make your  
move. It's that simple."

"Funny, I don't feel any of those things." To my surprise, Bakura laughed out loud.

"If you did, baka, I'd be a whole lot more worried." I still must not have appeared  
convinced. Sighing, he said, "Listen to me. I'm only going to say this once and afterwards  
I will deny it to my next dying day, so pay attention. You're the King of Thieves, Ryou,  
but that doesn't matter unless you want it to be. It's just a title. What you do with it is up  
to you. It doesn't mean you're any better or any worse than any of the rest of us. It's not  
what you say, it's what you do. And I know that may seem like reason for you not to be,  
but trust me when I say this, Ryou. You were born to be this. I may not be a big believer  
in destiny, but this time it's for real. You know that. You can feel it, I can tell. I see it in  
your eyes everytime you do a lift or even think about it.

"You're a good person, Ryou. You have heart, which is lot more than I can say for most.  
You _care_ about others, you give a damn whether they're happy or sad or scared or hurt.  
That, my _sen_, my brother, is what the King of Thieves should be. And that is what you  
are, Ryou. That's you."

I couldn't help it. I was crying. I had never in my life heard anyone say anything so kind  
about me. Not my mother or sister or anyone else. And to think that it was Bakura, my  
evil, cranky, and violent yami, that said it. To top it all off, he had called me his brother.  
His _brother_. The look his eyes held and his voice were both sincere. I knew he meant  
every word he said, speaking volumes more in what wasn't.

"Thank you," I said softly, wiping my tears away. He scowled.

"Just don't get used to that. I think I just made up for an two lifetime's worth of bad  
deeds there," he muttered. I smiled and shook my head.

"I still don't think I'm cut out for this. I mean, I _did_ kill a man. Two men. But like you  
said, I have to come to terms with that on my own. And... I trust you, Bakura. If you think  
I'm supposed to be the King of Thieves, then I won't say otherwise."

"Oh, so _now_ you listen, after I bared my soul and made a complete fool of myself?" he  
said, giving me a mock glare.

"Well, you know me. Hard-headed," I said, pointing my head.

"Yes, I blame it all Malik and Marik, because I sure as hell didn't teach you that," he said  
getting up. I rolled my eyes.

: : I saw that. : :

: What are you going to do about it? :

: : Tell Malik that you need to go to the bathroom. : : He grinned evily at me.

"You better not!" He shrugged and walked off. "Bakura! BAKURA!"

-----

A FEW DAYS LATER

I have always hated saying goodbyes. When I was little, I had been convinced that if you  
said goodbye to someone, you never saw them again. That feeling has still remained with  
me, and especially this time, I had a feeling I was right. I couldn't predict the future, but...  
I just knew.

We were down at the dock, getting ready to leave. Malik and Marik were trying to coax  
the beater that the Rubicon now was up the ramp to the ship's storage deck. Bakura was  
arguing with one of Malik's "minions" about something on the upper deck. And I, well, I  
was doing what I hated down at the dock itself, my knife proudly strapped around my  
waist.

"I thought you were going to stay," Yuugi said. I sighed. Damn, this was hard.

"I'm sorry, Yuugi. To all of you, as well. I can't stay. My heart's too restless. I'd go stir  
crazy if I stayed. Besides, somebody has to look after them," I said, jerking a thumb in the  
direction of the ship. "They'd be lost without me."

"You will come back and visit, right?" Anzu asked.

"I can't promise that. We may be good, but we're not perfect. There are others out there  
like Pegasus and they're not a minority, trust me on that. But we'll see. Who knows,  
maybe I'll come back and finally beat Yami in duel."

"Is that a challenge?" he asked, a smirk on his face.

"Now, now, Yami, you know if I did that Bakura would insist on Shadow Duel and if you  
throw in Malik and Marik, well, we'd have the beginnings of an epic story arc on our  
hands," I said. "We'll just have to see which way the wind blows."

"RYOU! MARIK'S TRYING TO CONTROL THE RUBICON WITH THE ROD!"  
Malik yelled.

"THEN GET IT AWAY FROM HIM, DUMBASS!" Bakura called down.

"BE MY GUEST!"

"YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT!" Marik cursed, following with a string of Egyptian  
curses. I sighed.

"You sure you want to be stuck with them on one small ship?" Honda asked.

"They may be a little-- okay, let's face it, a lot-- rough around the edges, but I wouldn't  
give them up for all the treasures in the world," I said, watching amused while Marik  
started stabbing the Rubicon with the Rod. Malik gave up trying to stop him and tried to  
start it again. This time, it roared to life, sending Marik into rounds of maniacal laughter. I  
shared a look with the others, but we just ended up laughing.

"You'll keep in touch, won't ya?"

"Of course, Jou. Just keep an eye on the headlines," I said, winking. Bakura called to me.  
It was time to go.

"It's time to bid adieu, my friends," I said. "I'll miss you guys."

"We'll miss you, too," Yuugi said. I turned to leave.

"Hey, Ryou!" Otogi called. I stopped. "Go. Fulfill your destiny." I smiled and nodded.

"C'mon, _Khalid_," Bakura called. As I headed towards the Rubicon, I heard Yami speak.

"Wait a minute... I know that name... KHALID?!"

I jumped in the back and we took off up the ramp, Yami's yelling in the background. We  
looked at each other and cracked up laughing. Once it was secured in place, I went up and  
joined Bakura.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" He was smirking like a Cheshire cat.

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? A thief never tells," he said.

"I'm sure," I replied. The sun was high in the sky, and I took a moment to enjoy its  
warmth. I knew why Malik loved it. I loved it, too.

"So, fearless leader, where to?" My smile quickly turned into a Bakura-like grin.

"You know, you were right about me being a good person. So, I figure, we should help  
Yami out." He quirked an eyebrow. "And what better way to do that than send him some  
of his, ah, personal affects?"

"Oh, dear Ra, I think I have corrupted you! Who are you and where's my hikari?" he  
asked, faking horror.

"Hey, I may be good, but I never said I was innocent." He laughed.

"I can't wait to see Malik and Marik's faces when I tell them," he said, leaving. I let my  
grin fade back to a smile. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, enjoying the sun's  
rays on my face.

A lot has happened to me, both in the past few weeks and the past few years. I've had ups  
and downs, but in the end it was the journey that led me to where I stand today. And while  
I'm still not convinced that I should be the King of Thieves, I'm more than willing to try.  
Life's too short for not taking risks or chances. Sometimes, what may seem like the most  
radical choice is not only the right one, but the one that leads you down the path you were  
born to walk.

This is the path for me. Good or bad is a matter of opinion. I found where I belonged. It  
was a hard road. There good times and bad, and some days it seemed there were all too  
many of the latter. But you know...

I wouldn't have had it any other way.

A/N: Would you believe that the epilogue was longer than the last chapter? Seriously, it  
was; by about three pages (not including this author's note).

I don't think I could have timed this better, this being Christmas Eve for many. (Speaking  
of which, I don't care what religion you are and what you believe-- either way, happy  
holidays!)

Well, folks, did I do it justice? I hope so. And hey, this may not be the last time you'll be  
seeing Ryou the _itja_... or maybe it is. Only time will tell, and well... you know how time is  
about things. ::grin::

Once again, thanks. For everything. You guys rock!

--CrazyAce--  



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